lizzy writes

this guy you love

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

You think you love this guy. This man you're dating and falling in love with.

He asks you to be his wife and your heart wants to burst because you wonder if you could ever love this person more than you do at that moment as you giggle uncontrollably and say, "yes!"

Then you marry him and on your wedding day, you think "I could never love him more than I do now".

Then you have a baby with him and when you see him hold your child, kiss away his tears, teach him and watch him say "I love you", you realize your love for him has grown even though you didn't think it could.

I wonder what will bring on the next elevation of love? Is there more than this?

happy girls are the prettiest

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

I never post about beauty products or tips but I've recently become so attached to a few things that I really want to share them. They probably aren't new to some of you but their presence in my life has affected a lot of things about my appearance and I love them for it. Amen.

Disclaimer: I don't know anything about natural products and/or chemicals so if these things are bad for humans, the environment or baby animals . . . I'm sorry but I probably won't stop using them. Sort of kidding. Also, I don't have a lot of money to spend on beauty products so if they don't sell it at Target then I probably don't buy it (there are one or two exceptions that I use from Nordstrom). There may be better/more expensive alternatives out there but let's call this the "moderately economical beauty supply list".

1. Cetaphil - why did no one tell me about this when I was a teenager?! I never had really bad acne when I was a teen but I didn't know how to care for my skin. I have tried at least a dozen kinds of skin cleanser and creams for my dry skin, including expensive brands. I will probably never stop using this stuff . . . and it's so cheap (and you can buy it at Costco)!

2. Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo - I only wash my hair a couple of times a week (and I even have been working out a solid 6 days a week so it gets pretty gross). Dry shampoo is the greatest hair product invention ever and I had been using Suave's Dry Shampoo (only around $4). It was working fine but it never provided me with much volume and it leaves a slight white residue. I have lots of fine hair so volume is worth a lot to me. This stuff works really well! I love it! Some advice though if you try it: use sparingly and follow the directions. Spray it on and leave it for two minutes and then brush it out. Otherwise it feels sticky.

3. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara BIG - I always internally laughed at people when I saw them pull out this pink and green tube because it looked like "beginner" make-up. You know, what you buy when you're 12 . . . but it's the best mascara out there for the price (better than/just as good as the expensive Lancome, MAC and Nars kinds I've tried)! I like the BIG brush because it provides more volume.

4. Bed Head Hard Head Hairspray - I've tried a hundred kinds and this is the best for great hold. I have used other brands I like but this is the best for the price and it's conveniently sold at most drug stores, Target, Walmart, etc.

5. Kiehl's Moisturizing Lip Gloss - I don't usually wear anything on my lips other than some chapstick since I have naturally rosy lips. David picked this out for me for my birthday and I love it! I was so surprised when I opened it and even more surprised when he picked the perfect peachy pink color (Downtown Peach). It's super soft and hydrating and looks lovely and natural on.

What are your must-have beauty products?

bun in the oven

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends here in San Diego is having her 4th and final child - another boy. She is one of those people who is always positive, consistently a good friend, inspiring in many ways and lots of fun to be with. When I found out that she had never had a baby shower before (remember, this is her 4th child!) I was appalled so a few other friends and I put together this baby shower.

First, I made up this invitation. Lela loves gray and white chevron as well as red so that's where the inspiration came from (I used this shower as a reference for several ideas).

Then we brainstormed a few ideas for food and decor. The food?

Pulled Pork "Buns" (my recipe here) - with BBQ sauce and horseradish on the side (the shredded pork was on the bar island in a crock pot to keep warm and it was delicious! I didn't make it or else I'd share the recipe)

Greens with Beets, Goat Cheese, Dried Cranberries, Candied Walnuts and Honey Dijon Vinaigrette (I'll try to remember to post the recipe this week)

Veggies with Spinach Herb Dip
Potato Chips
Cheese and Cracker Tray (with several kinds of goat cheese - the mama's favorite)

Caramel Apple Salad (with Snickers in it, you guys!)
Pretzels and Cake Batter Dip
Lemon Bundt Cake (second attempt - successful!)

Red Berry Lemonade (gray and white straws here - flags made by me)

I also made these labels (that were supposed to look like ovens) that said "Ding! The bun is almost done! Thanks for coming!" that went onto mini boxes with a small sticky bun inside (which I made from my recipe here). One of Lela's friends (who was another hostess) did her maternity photos a few days prior to the shower so she printed several and framed them for the table. They look awesome!

This isn't the first baby shower I've helped hostess but it's the first that I've had such a good experience with! The other girls that helped hostess were so awesome, creative, helpful to each other and I had never even met two of them before this. I'm all about divvying up assignments for parties now. It makes it so much less stressful and I was able to actually enjoy the party. Imagine that! It turned out to be a really lovely party (even though it rained almost all day) and I'm so glad that our friend felt loved. She really deserves it!

saturday fresh air

2012-01-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

Most Saturday mornings David takes William on a hike up Cowles Mountain to get a good work out and to give me a couple of hours of time to myself. They get really filthy and smell really bad when they get home but I love how they also get quality father/son time together and some fresh air.

I love this picture of William just relaxing and taking in the view.

P.S. I love living in San Diego . . . but it's still the desert even though we have the beach at our finger tips and 70 degree weather nearly every day, all year . . . Shhh, hear that? There goes the world's smallest violin playing the world's saddest song, just for me.

giving the best part

2012-01-16T22:46:00.000-08:00

While reading my {gem of a} sister-in-law's blog a couple of months ago, I read this post. As I read I felt a string of strong emotions. First, I smiled when I saw what my brother had done. I guess growing up at the end of the family with Marcus has given me a lot of time to observe his behavior and it was just kind of funny. Then as I read my sister-in-law's reaction I felt gratitude. I was so thankful that my brother's loving wife had the kind of character to not react hastily to this situation. I was thankful that she considered my sweet brother's feelings. I was thankful that she thought of him before herself (this is the key to marriage, if you were wondering). I felt a few tears in my eyes as I said a little prayer of thanks that my brother found this girl to be his wife.

hours before David proposed.

The next emotion I felt was humility. Ashley brought up that responding in anger to the situation would accomplish venting for her and the definite guilt of Marcus. I struggle with "accomplishing" this goal too often. When things don't go my way I have a pretty short fuse and when I react to the lighting of that fuse, I always regret it later.

Over the last few weeks I've been re-reading my personal journals where I've spilled important realizations I've had about myself. It's helped inspire and remind me about the bad choices I've made and what I've learned from them. Reading Ashley's post inspired me to do better and I appreciate blogs where I feel renewed to change for the better. I guess that's why I'm posting this here (and admitting my shortcomings).

I loved what I once heard on an episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" (one of the greatest TV shows ever) when Debra said, "Doesn't your family deserve the best part of yourself?" It struck me how when we're in public or with a group of people, I'm on my best behavior. I'm more kind and forgiving of little things that bother me because it seems like bad manners to fight or be snippy in front of other people for fear of making them uncomfortable (I've been on the other side so I know how awkward it feels when others make a fuss or fight with their spouse). What's sad is that if I act more kind and more forgiving in public than in private, those actions show my husband that I care more about how other people, even strangers, feel more than him.

I'm not trying to be really hard on myself because I'm truly not a horrible person and I think I'm a pretty good wife. I just think we all need constant reminders because we all fall short sometimes.

"True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one's companion." - Gordon B. Hinckley

a story of finding no one

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl baby my mom had a cassette tape of children's songs that I loved to listen to. The only song I distinctly remember on that tape was called "No One Like You" sung by John Denver. Now, you all remember my aforementioned love for JD (if you've been reading a long time), right? I've had this song in the back of my mind for years. I've sworn to sing it to my children but I could not find the music, lyrics, audio or video anywhere (and I looked hard)!

For my birthday this year my mom bought me this Children's Songbook. It's an updated version of the one that my mom and sisters would play on the piano for me as a child so it was a great gift to receive! One day as I was looking through the book I saw it! The piano music to "No One Like You"! The small excerpt above the song confirmed that this was it.

"In 1983, John Denver joined the Muppets in a TV special called 'Rocky Mountain Holiday'. Many of the songs had themes that related to being outdoors. One of the exceptions was this lovely lullaby that Denver sang to Kermit's nephew, a small frog named Robin. There is no one exactly like Robin, or like any of the other Muppets, for that matter. And there's no one exactly like you!"

I squealed with delight when I realized that this was the song that had so much sentimental value to me! With William by my side on the piano bench and his sticky fingers lightly pressing on the top keys, I played and sang the song. I got a little emotional as I thought about my childhood and my sweet mother. Then I looked it up on YouTube one more time and found this video from the movie. After all these years, I hadn't realized it was from a movie! So, here it is. Good ol' John Denver singing with his beautiful syrupy voice to a small, green puppet and stroking him in a sleeping bag. How sweet.

growing up: 26 months

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

I haven't done a "growing up" update in a while and this boy has been cracking me up lately with great gems that I don't want to forget. I love my sweet William.

falling asleep in a Costco cart after playing in his crib for 2 hours at "nap time".

At this point:
- when he wakes up in the morning he yells, "Coming! Ready or not!" (really loud) and it makes me laugh every time. It's a great way to start my day (even when I'm not ready).

- he loves trains . . . a lot. If there are trains in the room, he will find them and then not let anyone else near them. We're trying to work on that. :)

- he is finally singing! I was so worried that he was not going to be a singer. I know there are worse things in life but music is a huge part of mine and I really want my kids to be musical. He loves singing his ABCs which always turns into "Twinkle Twinkle" at the end. He also loves singing "Choo Choo Choo". Big surprise. He's still pretty shy about it and if I make a big deal about him singing, he'll usually stop. Kind of like his dad in that way.

- his favorite food continues to be cottage cheese though he's generally not picky. He'll eat most everything I cook - thank goodness.

- he's weaning himself off the (sippy cup) milk except for maybe one cup a day. Pretty good around these parts.

auld lang syne - "it's a song about old friends"

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

We've had a ton of visitors lately and I love it! Most recently two of my best friends from childhood came to stay last week with their two babies. It was so fun to spend time with people who I have so much history with. I mentioned in this post that these two friends got married after years and years of being smitten with each other. It's not often that you see successful marriages out of high school sweethearts, much less elementary and junior high sweethearts.

William was rather smitten with their daughter, Kate (coincidence or destiny?) unless she touched his trains or got her foot to close to him in the stroller or basically did anything that he didn't want her to do. It was rather embarrassing but he made up for it by waking her up for dinner (homemade pizza) and giving her kisses. I died (and still do) over this video. I dare you not to.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of me with Tricia or Chase but trust me when I say that we had a great time staying up really late and talking every night. I had grand plans to play games and watch movies (we did watch a few segments of this and this) but mostly we sat around having great conversations over ice cream and then - BAM - it was midnight! Chase was here to do an interview for his residency so I'm really hoping they move here. Fingers crossed!

new year's 2011

2012-01-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

I know it's super lame to be posting New Year's pictures this late into 2012 but I want to document this or else I'll forget what we were doing New Year's Eve 2011. Even though it was really low-key it was still so fun. We spent the evening at our friend's house with a few other families and grubbed on potstickers, meatballs, cream puffs, cheeses, cookies and lots of Mexican Coke and Izze's. I laughed a lot and William played hard until 11 p.m. I was hoping he'd crash somewhere in the playroom and we'd be able to stay late but then I felt my eyes get droopy and started to (as my dad would say) "turn into a pumpkin". So we headed for home in the late evening fog and crashed into bed before midnight. I've never cared much about this holiday because it's really made for people more of the "party scene". However I really enjoy small, intimate gatherings like this one where you sit around and share stories, laugh at outlandish tales of college days and dating woes over delicious food with people you feel really comfortable with. Here's to another year filled with more evenings spent in the company of good friends!

the girl on the far right isn't me but my dear friend, Lela. crazy right? we look a lot alike I've decided.

leaves falling all around

2012-01-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

While we were at David's parent's house for Christmas William had a great time "raking" leaves with Grandma. And then he jumped in the leaves. And then he threw the leaves. And then he observed the leaves. And then he was done. As he would say, "Iss fun!"

starting fresh

2012-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm going to be super cliche and post my NY Resolutions on my blog. In my defense I've heard that two key steps to making successful goals are to a) write them down and b) tell someone about it and have them check up on you regularly. So, I'm killing two birds with one stone and doing both by posting it here.

There's something so refreshing about a new year. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by the ever-wise Marilla Cuthbert - "Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" (quote actually by author L.M. Montgomery) I know that I won't be perfect for even one minute of any of the next 364 days this year but it feels really nice to renew my determination to try.

Lizzy's 2012 Goals:
1. Use my time more wisely (for me, that mostly means limiting my computer and TV time).
2. Improve my over-all health (including reducing my intake of sugar/carbs and exercising 6 days a week).
3. Read the Book of Mormon with my family.

this is the ocean, silly, we're not the only two in here

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

I took William to Sea World the other day and it was the first time he was really into it. I had such a great time watching his face of delight and wonder as the beluga whale swam by each time.

I smiled as I saw his eyes get wide and fill with the color of the turtle exhibit.

I loved hearing his squeals of excitement as he attempted to feed the "Dory"s his crackers through the thick glass.

This kind of thing is super simple but the feelings you get when you see the world through the eyes of your child make you feel like you're the luckiest person on earth. I know I'm not the first and only person to experience this "wonder" but to me, it feels unique.

christmas 2011: day

2011-12-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

Oh, Christmas Day 2011 - you were unforgettable, for good and for bad. We woke up and William rushed in to find that Santa had been to town! He poured through his stocking and then we all got ready for church. It was really nice to concentrate on the birth of the Savior on Christmas morning. Sometimes we forget to do that. As soon as we got back, we dug into presents for all and William started enjoying some of his Christmas chocolate (or "cha-cook" as William calls it).

David's dad received a large container of cashews and gave William one. No big deal, in my book. The kid has no allergies and has had nuts plenty of times before. Ten minutes later William was looking peaked. He came over to me and had a funny look about him. I had a feeling he was going to vomit and took him to the kitchen where he proceeded to throw up 3 times. I originally thought that he must have had too much candy and we stopped opening presents to observe since it looked like he was going to throw up more. Sure enough, he vomited a few more times until the cashew was out. I gave him a bath and in the tub I noticed a little swelling on his eye. It wasn't severe but enough to catch my attention. Once he was out of the tub I started to notice a bit more swelling in his eyes but thought that maybe he had got some soap in his eyes from the shampoo but I thought I'd call my doctor in case. Being Christmas, I couldn't get a hold of anyone.

David went to the store to get some Benadryl but we didn't know how much to give him and the pharmacy was closed. In the mean time,William's torso, feet and ears became red and itchy so we decided to take him to the hospital. By the time we got to the ER William looked like this.

They gave him Benadryl and steroids and the doctor hypothesized that the cashew was the culprit but we don't know for sure. We'll have to take him in for testing. Have any of you had any experience with child allergies? It's a terrifying experience.

after the Benadryl knocked him out and was starting to reduce some swelling.

All in all, it was a nice Christmas and we were recipients of lots of generosity, for which we're grateful. If only a child allergy wasn't another little present on this day, then it would have been perfect!

christmas 2011: eve

2011-12-26T21:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year - hands down - and this year was no exception. We spent this Christmas with David's family and their annual Christmas Eve tradition is to make Mexican food . . . and they go all out. His mom makes the BEST red enchilada sauce I've ever had and dish after dish of cheese enchiladas. Then she makes sopa fideo (which isn't your typical sopa fideo - more of a dry browned spicy spaghetti) which I love. We have beans, tortillas, fresh guacamole and salsa. It's a Mexican feast!

Of course, as soon as the chips came out there was Will. He stayed perched there until dinner was "officially" served.

We attempted to get a family picture in front of the Christmas tree but, you know, the chips come first. So all we have is this one of David and me. Taking a family picture is impossible this year, which is why we didn't send out Christmas cards.

After dinner William got a bath and then we went through the Christmas story and sang along songs while I played the piano.

William enjoyed my favorite of my mother-in-law's holiday decorations when she lit the candles so the fan blades would spin - such a lovely, warm glow.

Pretty soon he got tired and it was off to bed for the boy. We stayed up watching Christmas movies and then headed to bed ourselves . . . and of course, I couldn't sleep. I'm 27 years old and I still cannot sleep through the night on Christmas Eve. I don't think I'll ever be able to.

sweet cheer

2011-12-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

I leave you until after Christmas with this darling gem of a video. William loves playing with our nativity on top of the piano. Never mind the "play nativity" made of stuffed animals and people in his toy bin, nah, he prefers the breakable glass one. The other day I caught him acting so lovingly with the baby Jesus. I like to pretend that he realizes the real reason we celebrate Christmas and so he was thanking Jesus for being born. It made my heart grow three sizes.

And in case you didn't see this awesome video of Will's Christmas boogie last year . . .

Merry Christmas!

christmas treat

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up (and I believe still, to this day) my mom always made cinnamon rolls for our neighbors. David's mom's tradition is orange rolls for their friends and neighbors. So, I carry on the tradition and made some cinnamon rolls for my friends this Christmas.

I used my recipe here and I must say, they're my favorite. Then I wrapped them in these cute boxes from The Container Store with some tags I made and ribbon. We had fun delivering them to our friends and wishing them a Merry Christmas! I love delivering (and receiving) holiday goodies, don't you? What are your favorites to give and receive?

chicken noodle soup

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

I brought dinner to a friend of mine this weekend whose husband is in the hospital for surgery. Even though I knew he wouldn't be eating the food I brought (he's still in the hospital) I thought some warm comfort food would be nice.

Bringing a meal to someone is always a challenge because you have to take into account several factors. Are they likely to enjoy this kind of food? How will it transfer from my house to theirs? Of course, you also don't want to overburden them with dishes to do, especially since if you're bringing dinner to someone they probably already have their hands full with a new baby or a sick family member. With this meal she only had to return the pot the soup came in. Not bad and I think they enjoyed the warmth of chicken noodle soup (along with some of my homemade rolls) on a chilly, winter night.

1 whole chicken, rinsed and cleaned (hate this part but it has to be done)
1 onion, cut into large chunks
1 rib of celery, cut into large chunks + 4 celery ribs, diced small (set aside)
1 carrot, cut into large chunks + 3 whole carrots, peeled and diced small (set aside)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Cover chicken with water in a large stock pot. Add onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves and salt and pepper (about a teaspoon of each). Simmer for two hours.

Remove chicken from broth and let cool. Discard vegetables, bay leaves and skim fat (I like to strain it). Skin chicken and remove meat from bones. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Season broth with a teaspoon of garlic salt, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper (remember you probably need quite a bit - it's a lot of broth!) and dried parsley. Add reserved diced celery and carrots. Simmer for about 20 minutes until vegetables are are slightly softened. Add chicken pieces and noodles (recipe below). Simmer for an additional 10 minutes until noodles are cooked. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Noodles:
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put flour into a medium to large bowl. Make a well in the center. Crack eggs into well and mix lightly with hands until combined. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth (adding more flour if necessary - but be careful not to add to much). Let dough rest for about 10 minutes, covered, and then roll it out onto a well-floured surface as thin as you can get it to go (they plump a lot). Cut the noodles using a pizza cutter about 1/8 - 1/4 inch wide and 3 - 4 inches long.

*if you need pictures of step-by-step instructions to get a visual for how the dough should look, check out Pioneer Woman's post on homemade pasta.

"i rub food in my hair back and forth"

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

William loves to rub his food in his hair? Do your kids do this too?

On Sunday he rubbed maple syrup for breakfast into his hair. Then for lunch he rubbed leftover soup broth into his hair. And for dinner, a bit of pasta sauce. Mmmm. Delicious!

He also thoroughly enjoys going into my bathroom, grabbing my brush and coming into wherever I am in the house and brushing my hair. The kid loves hair, what can I say?

"on hand" steak (or vegetarian) asian noodles

2011-12-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here's another "on hand" recipe that my sister sent out to my family. She had some leftover meat from Sunday dinner and put this together with things she always keeps in her fridge. Of course, I almost never buy a few of the things on the ingredients list but they aren't foreign to me - just not what I usually pick up at the store. She does, however, so maybe some of you do too! Even if you don't have this stuff "on hand" it's worth a trip to the store.

I made a couple of adjustments for my own purposes and it's a real winner. This is an incredibly easy recipe that was also incredibly delicious. David raved about it, which is saying a lot because he likes everything I make (or so he says).

Cole slaw mix (16 ounce bag - really don't bother shredding your own cabbage and carrots)
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms (if you want to make this vegeterian, omit the meat and double the mushrooms)
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/2 pound strip steak (I was too cheap to buy this so I used stew pieces - strip steak would have been way better but the stew pieces were fine and were already cut up for me)
12 ounces spaghetti or angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
Sauce (below)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon Sriarcha chili sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

Combine all together in a small bowl and set aside until ready to use.

In a large wok or skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the steak pieces and saute for 3 - 4 minutes. Remove meat from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Do not clean pan!

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and saute mushrooms and cole slaw for a minute. Add meat (if using) and sauce. Cook until heated through and sauce reduces a bit (a couple of minutes).

Serve over noodles and garnish with chopped cilantro.

"on hand" southwest salad

2011-12-14T21:58:00.000-08:00

I think it's funny how people (myself included) say, "You can throw this meal together with things you already have in the fridge and cupboard". It sounds great in theory until you look at the recipe and realize that the person who wrote it has a completely different sense of grocery shopping than you do.

Most of us have a cuisine that we like to frequent. I find that I make Mexican inspired meals when I'm out of ideas and so I always keep black beans, corn, salsa, cilantro, tortillas and/or chips on hand. Other people really like Asian meals. Others steer towards curries or Italian. So, I thought I'd throw out a few recipes of "on hand" meals for a few different cuisines to hopefully inspire you as you peer in your fridge at 5 p.m.

sorry about the poor quality - trying to figure out "raw" images.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
2 chicken breasts, diced (I always have frozen on hand)
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 head green leaf lettuce, cleaned and chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup ranch dressing
shredded cheese
guacamole (I buy a six pack from Costco and freeze it)

In a medium pan over medium-high heat add oil and heat until hot. Saute chicken breasts a couple of minutes until starting to brown. Add cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir in black beans and corn and saute until warm throughout. Set aside to cool a couple of minutes (you don't want it to completely wilt the lettuce).

Blend together cilantro and ranch dressing until cilantro is chopped (I use my Magic Bullet for this - if you want to thin it out a bit, and have a lime on hand, add the juice of it).

Place lettuce, diced tomato, cheese, guacamole and chicken/bean/corn mixture in a bowl and top with cilantro dressing. I served this with some cheese quesadillas but you can also use chips or just serve the salad.

boot scootin' boogie

2011-12-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

When William puts on my boots after church and they look like chaps, I just have to laugh and laugh and laugh . . .

I love him.

smelling christmas

2011-12-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

Here's what Christmas smells like to me. These are my all-time favorite scents of the season that bring me comfort and remind me of home.

my recipe here.

how lovely are thy branches

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm smitten with our tree this year. We are blessed with an amazing front window that spans almost the entirety of the front of our house. When we moved in this house I immediately thought, "Our Christmas tree is going to rock it in front of the window." And so it does.

Here's how she blows during the day.

And here's her majesty in the night with the lights glowing and the bulbs glistening and my heart happy.

from outside.

split pea soup

2011-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here's the truth: my mom used to make split pea soup when I was growing up and I hated it! I also hated ham so that's probably a big part of it. I outgrew almost all of my picky-eater tendencies during culinary school and recently my little brother said that he loves split pea soup so I thought I'd give it another try. This is a really easy recipe that I found from Everyday Food and it's in a slow cooker so that makes it really easy.

I was worried that it would be difficult to find split peas and ham hocks at my grocery store. Nope. I went to Albertson's and found both for under $3 each. You could also make this using a ham bone left over from Christmas dinner (if ham on Christmas is your thing). The only change I would make is not blend it up like I did. My mom did this with her soup so I figured I would blend it a bit with my immersion blender. Well, that "bit" went a little too far and it became cream of split pea soup. Note: don't do that. I served this with rolls and salad on a cold, blustery night with a warm glow reflected by our Christmas tree. Doesn't that sound heavenly? Fall and winter are the best times of year.

10 cups chicken broth

2 pounds dried green split peas, picked over, rinsed, and drained

1 medium onion, diced small
4 carrots, diced small
1 celery stalk, diced small
1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 dried bay leaves
2 small ham hocks (1 1/4 pounds total), with several 1/2-inch slits cut into skin *see note above
Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a medium pot, bring broth to a boil, then carefully pour into a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Add split peas, onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and ham hocks (or leftover ham bone); season with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on high until split peas are creamy, 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks from pot. Discard skin and bones; dice meat. Discard bay leaves. Lightly mash peas with the back of a wooden spoon (or not at all, if you like). Return ham to soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Now I'm going to eat Candy Cane Joe-Joe ice cream and watch more of my DVR pile up, thank you very much.

the right one

2011-11-29T20:36:00.000-08:00

Choosing a Christmas tree is one of my favorite things. I don't think I'll ever be able to buy an artificial one because nothing compares to the real thing. The smell that fills your house for weeks is one of the main things that gets me in the holiday spirit. And choosing one that's bushy but not too bushy, tall but not too tall and filled in all the right places is such a fun tradition. We always buy a Noble Fir cause it's my fave.

William wasn't really fond of the process. It was pretty close to dinner time (whoops) and he was pretty cranky so our Christmas tree search was cut short. He spent most of the time making this lovely face.

And then I demanded a picture. After a few failed attempts at a smile, this one cropped up. He is so cute.

Then he hugged me like a monkey and wouldn't let go, which is no "rare treat" these days (#somebodysensesababyiscoming).

Turns out we work best under pressure because we found, I think, the prettiest tree ever! Once we get it all trimmed and pretty I'll post pictures. Working on that tonight while watching our DVR Thanksgiving pile up.

*I apologize for all the cleavage in these shots. Ahhh, pregnancy.

thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

We returned home last night and it feels good to be home. This was such a fun week spending time with my family but a little peace and quiet is nice too. My parents' home was a jam packed house, full of kids playing and adults laughing. I found myself just observing this family of mine. We are a large clan (there were over 50 of us at dinner - and that's just my immediate family) with loud opinions so when we get together it's not a quiet, peaceful occasion. But boy, is it lively and enjoyable. Here's a few things I observed.

Saw:

The table setting (which I decorated, thank you very much).
My nieces in dress-ups (including some of my old formals and performance costumes).
William attached to the trampoline.
The not-quite-ripe citrus on my parents' trees just waiting to be picked.
Mom wiping down the kitchen counters . . . again.
My parents and siblings country dancing at a cowboy restaurant.
William hugging Beck for wayyyyy too long and wayyyy too often (Beck wasn't fond of it).

Heard:
Nephews playing the piano really loudly.
Legos being poured on the ground for the millionth time.
Jenga "oooo"s and "aaaahh"s.
Two-year-old Beck's guitar performance complete with amp.

Smelled:
My mom's homemade bread baking.
Apple custard pie.
Clementines being peeled by the box.
The scent of "sunshine" as my nephews played army guys.

Tasted (favorites):
Darin's corn succotash.
Our favorite Mexican food (a few times).
Derby pie.
Baby Margot's cheeks (we all took a few nibbles of that deliciousness).

One of the best things that happened was on Friday night when David and I attended my cousin's wedding dinner. We left William with a group of my family who were all going to see the temple Christmas lights. We put William in footed fleece pajamas, a striped sweater and sneakers (a lovely ensemble) and left my sister with a stroller and hoped for the best. When we returned they all told me that while they were at the lights they decided to watch a video of Luke 2. As the movie started William sat still with eyes wide and glued to this large screen. Soon the movie came to the part where Mary and Joseph conclude that Mary will have to give birth to the Son of God in a stable. As they looked around sorrowfully at the pitiful sight not fit for the King, the scene panned to the area surrounding the manger. Cows, donkeys and sheep . . . that's when William let out a loud and distinctive, "BAAAAHH!" I had (and still have) a good laugh when I heard the story. Oh, my boy.

hair and the perfect sandwich

2011-11-23T08:57:00.000-08:00

The first time Will got a haircut was one of the cutest things I had ever seen. I just died over his huge brown eyes with this look of wonder. As each red lock was cut he began to look more and more like a "big boy". He didn't cry but he seemed uncertain about the whole event.

While we're here in Arizona we like to visit David's uncle, Don, the barber. He cut both my boys' hair but this time was not as easy as the first time. I had an idea that William wouldn't be as easy this time.

As soon as the clippers came out, he freaked. He cried and cried as I held his sucker, telling him that he could have it as soon as he had his haircut.

He was screaming something that I couldn't understand when finally I realized he was sobbing, "Canny!" Duh. I gave him his sucker and then he looked like this.

Candy is magic, apparently.

And then David and I took William home, laid him down for a nap and my mom stayed home so David and I could go to our favorite sandwich place for lunch. Oh, "It's About Thyme" sandwich - I love you so much. If you ever go to Gilbert, Arizona make sure you hit up Flancer's for this sandwich. Their french onion soup and goat cheese bruschetta is also fantastic.

I probably won't blog tomorrow . . . so HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

scenes from arizona

2011-11-21T09:47:00.001-08:00

Are you my friend on Instagram? You can be by following me at elizabethbryant. But you don't have to. I'll still like you.

Entering the state is always exciting.

William watches Toy Story (or "Buzz") for the hundredth time.

Giddy up horsey!

Beck and William play nicely . . . for a minute.

leftover mashed potato cakes

2011-11-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

As the Thanksgiving day approaches some of you will probably have leftover mashed potatoes after the big day. That is, unless you're like the Nielson family who can NEVER have too many mashed potatoes and homemade rolls. We love carbs, what can I say? But who doesn't? That's what I want to know.

When I was growing up my mom would make potato cakes with our Sunday leftover mashed potatoes. It was one of my favorite comfort foods and I find myself wanting to make mashed potatoes for dinner just so I can make potato cakes the next morning. They're so easy and really tasty. I love to eat it with lots of ketchup on top and a steamed egg with a slice of my mom's homemade wheat bread toasted with honey. Makes such a yummy breakfast.

There's not really a recipe for this but here's the general idea. You can, of course, doctor these up any way you like. You could add some green chilies and maybe some chili powder and serve it with salsa to make it more Mexican but I like it this way.

1 - 2 cups mashed potatoes

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

Stir the mashed potatoes together until smooth again. Mix in egg until well blended. Then stir in cheese and salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Melt a Tablespoon of butter on skillet and plop (very technical term, you know) about 1/2 cup of potato mixture onto skillet. Spread it out a bit until it makes a nice "cake". Let cook about 3 - 5 minutes until a nice brown crust forms on the bottom. Flip over and cook another 3 - 5 minutes on the other side. Repeat with remaining potato mixture. Serve with ketchup.

it's a . . .

2011-11-15T20:10:00.000-08:00

. . . nother boy!

cute quilt from here.

and we're thrilled albeit surprised! Almost immediately after I found out I was pregnant I had this strong feeling like this baby was a girl. This pregnancy has been completely different than William's. I know that isn't a guarantee that it won't be the same gender but it just felt SO different. I also am carrying this baby differently and have had people stop me on the street and in stores and tell me they thought I was having a girl. This just solidified my feeling that I was carrying this one differently. I can honestly say though, that I'm super excited to be having another boy. When I think I will be getting another one of these, I can't wait until April!

On the way to the ultrasound I asked David what his prediction was. He said that he had been thinking girl this whole time but had been feeling like it was a boy for the last two days. I laughed and said that I had a similar feeling but that we must just be "covering our bases".

During the ultrasound I was so nervous. I couldn't see the screen and David and the tech had such serious expressions on their faces. All I cared was that the baby had all its parts and the heart was beating. Once that was out of the way (all clear), the tech started showing us the baby's features. She started at the face and then moved down to the feet. As soon as I saw the baby's feet I said, "Wow. Big feet just like my son's!" She agreed that the baby's feet were bigger than normal. When she moved the wand to have a look at his bits I wasn't surprised when she said boy. After I had seen those giant feet I knew it had to be another boy.

I'm still wrapping my head around it. Having a new baby around here seems so real now! That's what I love about finding out the gender before they're born. It gives the baby such a sense of identity. I strongly believe that gender is a God-given identity and it makes it so special to know that I'll be raising another sweet boy.

anticipation, anticipation

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is a big week. First, tomorrow we find out the sex of our baby. I'm super jazzed and, lucky for you, I'm not one to keep a secret (so expect a post this week)!Then we leave for Arizona this weekend to be with my family for a whole ten days to celebrate Thanksgiving. Again, SUPER jazzed! Almost all my eleven siblings (we'll miss you Heidi!) will be at my parent's this year with their families. It's going to be a full house - which is my favorite kind of house.

Here's a cute picture of Will on his new Skuut that he got for his birthday. His feet don't touch the ground yet so he can't ride it without help, but he's getting close. When I see pictures like this I can't believe how big my sweet Fitz is. His facial features are losing their baby-ness. It makes me ache for another newborn to, as I said to David the other day, "start over". It's not that I regret how we've been raising William it's just the anticipation of having another sweet baby to do this all over with again is so exciting! And it's so fun to watch William grow and learn new things. Like when I heard him in the crib the other morning go, "Sen, eight, nine, TEN!" He knows more than I think he does.

chicken taco soup

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

There's this thing that Mormon women do called Relief Society cookbooks. If you're not familiar with these, here's how it usually works. The women of the ward (or Relief Society) all pitch in a few of their favorite recipes and then someone compiles them into a book. You pay a few dollars to get a copy and then you have a huge book full of hamburger casserole and homemade oreo cookie recipes. I kid.

The women of the ward I grew up in are amazing women. Many of them are my friend's moms and I ate their food many times. From picnic lunches made for us on a Saturday in the backyard when the weather was nice to snacks while playing ponies near the swamp cooler in the summer to breakfasts after a weekend sleepover. Delicious and generous.

This recipe came from that cookbook but I don't remember whose it is. Let's just say, it's a keeper. Super fast and delicious. Perfect for a night like tonight when the air was chilly and my toes were being kept cozy in polka dot socks.

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can chicken broth
1 can corn, undrained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 - 3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up*

In a medium to large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, cumin and chili powder. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the rest of ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream, cheese, olives and avocado (give or take what you like).

*I almost never have leftover chicken for something like this (which is really ideal because it's so easy). You could buy a rotisserie chicken and split it between this and another meal. However, I usually just thaw a couple of frozen chicken breasts, cut them into large chunks and saute it in a pan of a couple tablespoons of olive oil with salt and pepper, cumin and chili powder for about 5 minutes and then add it to the soup to finish cooking (doesn't need long or else it will be really tough).

birthday number two

2011-11-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

We celebrated William's second birthday over the weekend with David's family. Willie received lots of gifts and was a lot more involved and excited about opening gifts than last year. We waited until he took his afternoon nap to start the party but when he woke up David and his dad were at the store so he had to wait about 30 minutes. He saw all his wrapped presents and so his aunts distracted him outside so I could hide them. Then he came running back into the house saying, "Where da presents? Where dey go?" He loved unwrapping and playing with all his awesome new toys.

He received a Skuut from David and me, a Little People farm from my parents, a toy power tools set, truck with small cars and books from David's family. Good loot! I took a ton of pictures and can't edit which ones to take out so I thought I'd just caption them with a few things that were making us laugh about his actions and expressions.

I know these guys!

oh, a book. great.

let's move on to this bad boy.

tools? awesome!!

but I can't get it out. assist me, if you will.

I rule at this.

get outta here!

what is this garbage? a box?

not a box! an awesome truck!

my eyes will captivate you into giving me more presents.

dang, didn't work. well, french fries are good too.

these weird people and their hats.

why are they still looking at me? awkward . . .

fire!!!

look at me blow!

greatest day ever!

I am officially "that mom" who captions her pictures in her kid's voices. Wow. Never thought I'd be here but here I am. The things we do when we become parents.

another craigslist score

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

So, here's my big project that "almost killed me". Yes, I exaggerate (often) but since I was worried about painting furniture while pregnant I used low VOC paint and wore a mask the whole time while working on this during William's naps in my garage. Even still, it was a pretty grueling process but definitely worth it in the end. This isn't my first rodeo with painting furniture but I have learned a few things about what works and what doesn't along the way - mostly with help from more well-seasoned bloggers who have done awesome tutorials (Bryn's helped me a lot).

First, our computer has been living in our third bedroom (a.k.a. the guest room) and since that's probably where the baby will be sleeping I knew I needed to move it out of there. Plus, it's really difficult to get any work done (or LRTC watching) in there during nap time because the walls are really thin and it often wakes William up prematurely from his naps. And who wants a computer in a baby room anyway? So off to Craigslist I went to find a cheap computer armoire.

Within a few days of searching I found this one for $50. It's really heavy and has a ton of awesome features that I totally love (lots of pull out drawers and storage) but it was pretty ugly. Cheap looking veneer and awful black hardware but I had a plan! I had lots of left over paint from our last apartment (flat Valspar woodlawn sterling blue) so that was free. Then I bought some primer, lots of foam rollers (holy cow - what a difference from regular brushes!) and new hardware on sale from Anthropologie ($4 each).

It took two coats to get to this point and I was happy with the coverage so I put on some polycrylic and called it a day. I also spray painted the hinges silver, which helped a lot. I'm really happy with how it turned out and it's so nice to have my computer out in the living room so I can listen to my Spotify playlists while I clean the house and make dinner.

It also gave me an excuse to move my blue chair to one of the bedrooms. I've hated it in the living room ever since I recovered it so I plan to use it as a nursery chair with a slipcover on it. Any suggestions on stationary footstools that are super comfortable and look cute?

in the room.

five

2011-11-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Five years ago I was making my bridal bouquet as my sisters and I chatted around my mom's kitchen island.
Five years ago I was getting a pedicure with my best friend and giggling about the upcoming day.
Five years ago I was meticulously putting on my makeup in my parent's bathroom.
Five years ago I was putting on my wedding dress and feeling so beautiful.
Five years ago I was wearing the pearls David bought before we met for his future bride in the Philippines.
Five years ago I was smiling when I saw David in his suit.
Five years ago I was giggling as I looked at my handsome groom during the ceremony.
Five years ago I couldn't believe how perfect the day was.
Five years ago I was calm and so, so, so happy.
Five years ago I thought I could never love him more than I did at that moment . . .
Today I realize I was wrong because that love has grown ten fold.

I love you David for being constant, for keeping me calm, for making life fun, for being sweet to me even when it's hard, for being my friend and showing me love every day.

growing up: 24 months

2011-11-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

We have a crush on each other. Sure, there's the mother/son love too but when I smile at him from across the room, he opens his mouth wide to try to stop his returning grin. And when I lay him down to go to bed at night and whisper "I love you" he gazes at me with his sweet, big brown eyes and gives me a smile that gives me butterflies. Then he puts his finger to his lips and says "shhhh" as I shut the door and I miss him until morning.

Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet boy. You made my heart grow three sizes the first time I saw you. I love you forever and more than I ever imagined.

sunshine on a cloudy day

2011-11-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

My friend, Kara, is having a baby so I offered to throw her a baby shower. The tricky part was that she isn't finding out the gender. I probably erred on the side of "boy" though, with all the blue, because that's my guess and can I help it that I painted my outdoor table blue? We played a little gender guessing game and it was fun to see how many people agreed with me. :)

I'm happy to report that the food was pretty good. We had ham and potato bake (which my awesome friend, Jaimey, offered to make), a crudite platter with herb dip (I just put it together - no recipe), tiny fruit pizzas (sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting and sliced fruit), orange juice and sweet basil lemonade (again, my favorite drink on the entire planet).

I think the party turned out fun and it was great to spend time with my friends from my old ward. I miss them!

halloween 2011

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to all! Our ward trunk or treat was on Saturday and it was really fun. Halloween is going to be so much more fun from here on out. Sure, it was fun to dress up William last year but he had no idea what was going on. This year, he was so confused/thrilled about going car to car to get candy. I died when he started reaching into his bag and giving his candy to people as we reached their cars. My boy is so generous! Confused but generous.

I made him a Hedwig costume (remember I'm obsessed with HP) and was so pleased when he wore the entire outfit all evening! David dressed up as Professor Snape and I was a pregnant Luna Lovegood (let's pretend after she married Neville) in need of getting her hair did.

celebrate the love of the one you're with

2011-10-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

This has been a doozy week and I'm the kind of tired where I could really use a vacation. Except we just took a vacation so, you know, that's not going to happen. However, I have been very productive. I have a couple of fun and exciting things to blog about that are happening this weekend (a baby shower I'm throwing for a friend and a super awesome project that almost killed me but it turned out so amazing!) but not until next week. I promise I will share then.

I leave you with this picture from one year ago today when William's hair was a little out of control and a lot adorable. I couldn't bear to cut off his curl(s).

the sweetest gift

2011-10-25T05:00:00.001-07:00

Yesterday William and I made Halloween sugar cookies for our neighbors. I'll be honest - this is the kind of thing that, as I watched my little boy take such pride in his ability to do this, I thought, "I've been dreaming about this exact moment my whole life."

You see, I always wanted to be a mom. Having 9 older siblings gave me that dream really early (I became an aunt at 5 years old) but as much as I love my nieces and nephews I dreamed of the day when I would have my own babies, who ran to my arms when they cried. My babies, who were talking about me when they said "Mama". My babies, who I got to dress up and make Halloween costumes for. My babies, who I read stories to before bedtime and snuggled with in the dark. My babies, who I would get to make cookies with and teach how to do the things I'm good at.

He stood on the chair to reach the counter and his little, dimpled hands held that butter knife very steadily. He dipped it in the frosting and carefully dotted the cookies a few times before looking at me for approval. I looked in his bright eyes, praised him, kissed his cheeks and thought, "I want to remember how grateful I feel that I'm here right now." So here I am writing this and feeling tired . . . but the good kind.

conversations girls have

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

I live for girls nights. A couple of friends had birthdays so we met at a Mexican restaurant and talked until the place closed down. The poor servers were cleaning up and turning off the lights in parts of the restaurant, trying to give us a hint, but we still stayed until they had been closed a good while. Since we weren't done talking we hit up a diner and got hot chocolate and chatted some more.

there's something really weird about me in this picture. I can't figure out what it is.

Seriously, being able to talk to a bunch of girls who like to talk as much as I do, does a Lizzy good. Since I'm not married to one of those "talker guys" who asks about feelings and such, I have to get my fix somewhere. When I was on my way to the restaurant I started wondering, "What are we going to talk about tonight?" There are always a few things that inevitably come up when you're married with small children but I always get excited just anticipating some good, adult conversation with girls who are fun, smart and have varying and unique talents. Sounds cheesy - but yay for friends!

ruined soup and other things

2011-10-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

This has not been the best morning of my life. I woke up at 5:15 and realized that I forgot to put the huge batch of leftover vegetable sausage soup I made for dinner last night in the refrigerator. I made an extra large batch so David could take leftovers to work and so William could have a warm, hearty lunch today. Then I couldn't go back to sleep because I was annoyed at myself and I had anger in my heart. Over soup.

Then William woke up early and was cranky. I brought him to my bed to try to get some more rest and he kept stepping on my head (my least favorite thing he does). Finally, in a huff we went to get breakfast and saw the evidence of last night's soup disappointment.

The boy refused to eat anything except cottage cheese. What else is new? He has spent the last two hours throwing everything in sight and then "fake cries" about it. So I escaped and came to the computer which is when I realized that the cute video I made yesterday for my {amazing} mom's birthday did not send. My real gift to her is late so this video was kind of supposed to make up for that fact. Now I'm just the worst daughter ever. Which is a not good feeling.

But . . .

Even though this day started off rotten I am determined to make the rest of the day be a good one! I don't care what it takes especially since it's chilly today and that's my favorite kind of weather so I'm not going to waste it on a bad mood. I am going to make two or three lasagnas to freeze, make a cup of hot chocolate during William's nap, put away all my laundry and then slave away on a really exciting project that I'll share soon. Yes sir. It's going to be a good day, just you wait!

bumpy and lumpy but not grumpy

2011-10-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

Here's the thing about this pregnancy - it's completely different than my last. I wasn't prepared for how different it was going to be. Sure, I had heard that "every pregnancy is different" but when I was pregnant with William I didn't really pay attention to how amazing my hair was and that I didn't have a single blemish and that I generally felt pretty good. This time around my hair is falling out in droves, I have double the amount of zits I had in high school, I had horrible morning (riiiiight) sickness for weeks and generally feel really horrible about the way I look. To top it all off, I look like I'm six months pregnant when I'm really only (almost) four. It's so embarrassing that I generally don't want to leave the house. OK, now that I've complained . . .

Here's the best news. As far as I can tell, I'm having a healthy baby. That right there makes it all worth it. I'm also healthy and in a few months I won't be pregnant anymore. I'll have a sweet newborn to nurse (which is one of my favorite things about being a mom) and snuggle. I will be in control of my weight again and I'll be able to say "my kids". I've felt the first few flutterings of the baby's movement and it gives me "double" butterflies just to think about all the joy that's coming. The miracle of being pregnant is so mind-blowing and I'm just thankful I get to experience it.

more family visits

2011-10-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

My sister, Alice, and her kids came to visit last week after spending a few days in Disneyland. I love having my family come visit. It brings a little piece of "home" to me. Our house is small but we make it work and it's nice and cozy while they're visiting.

Alice and I deliberated before hand about what activities to cram into two days with kids in San Diego. Of course, there are a hundred things to do that I could recommend but because of the short amount of time and because they had already spent three days at Disneyland, we settled on spending the first day walking around Seaport Village (the kids loved climbing the gnarled trees on the harbor in cool weather) and then they toured the USS Midway aircraft carrier. Alice's kids loved that! Jack (who is 7) wore his plastic captain wings every second since he got them. He even moved them from his shirt to his pajamas after his shower. It was pretty cute.

On the second day we went to the Mormon Battalion Center in Old Town. This is a really fun place to visit, even if you're not Mormon. It tells a lot about the history of how San Diego became what it is and the part that the Mormons had in settling the area when they joined the U.S. Army and marched from Iowa to San Diego. They've really made it interesting with fun interactive movies, great sets and fun real props. Then you can pan for "gold" at the end. I overheard my niece, Mary (age 10), say, "You guys are so lucky you live here!" as she found her second piece of fools' gold.

Then we headed over to Coronado Island, toured the Hotel Del, had lunch and rode bikes around the island. It was beautiful and Alice commented that it felt so "romantic". I agree. Riding beach cruisers along side a beautiful ocean with balmy wind blowing in your face has a certain allure that feels really dreamy. We were all tired after our bike ride so we sat on the grass overlooking the bay while the younger kids played in the sand.

Friday was Alice's birthday so I made a chocolate cake sprinkled with toffee and she made vanilla ice cream. It wasn't anything super fancy but there's something so fun about blowing out candles on your birthday. I look forward to it every year. Alice obviously did not turn five years old, but it seemed like a reasonable number to blow out. :) Happy Birthday Alice! Love you!

ten things . . .

2011-10-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm grateful for today:

1. that I can call my sisters any time I want.

2. morning sickness is gone.
3. a wedding ring that I still love.
4. the tasty smell of homemade bread.

5. hearing "mommy!" first thing in the morning (always makes me smile - even when I'm tired).

6. long enough hair to put in a pony tail.
7. Trader Joe's cottage cheese.
8. full panel maternity jeans.
9. thunderstorms.
10. peeling pistachio nuts and eating the meat.

via

a cooking day in pictures

2011-10-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Hold on to your spatulas - this is a riveting post! I know not everyone loves to cook as much as I do. It's just one of those things that I love thinking about, love doing and love reaping the benefits of. After a whole week on vacation and eating out almost every meal, I was ready for some homemade food. So today, William and I headed to our local produce/middle Eastern market and stocked up on bananas, white peaches, strawberries, pumpkin, lettuce, tomatoes, beets, green onions, cucumbers and lots of other veggies. Then I came home and made homemade bread.

It felt so good to make it that I decided to make pumpkin whoopie pies before I started dinner (except I just did cream cheese frosting spiked with cinnamon and maple syrup).

While those were baking I made dinner - cumin chicken pitas with cucumber mint yogurt sauce and beets with red wine vinegar. Unfortuantely, while the beets were cooking I made the mistake of getting on the computer while William played with legos and lost track of time. That's when this happened.

the curse of Pinterest.

All the water was gone by the time I remembered and ran to the kitchen. Luckily none of the beets were harmed but I have no idea how to clean my beloved Le Creuset pot that I've had since culinary school. Tips?

I have cleaned my kitchen three times today and this is the last installment of dish washing. I didn't even finish because I am exhausted but I'm well-fed and so is my family. That's enough for now. Thank you and good night.

utah - part three

2011-10-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

The last leg of our trip ended with a lovely, cold day in Provo. We walked around BYU campus and giggled as we overheard students flirt, get asked out on dates and even saw an interesting situation where a guy approached a girl he had taken on a date (hopefully not recently) and she announced she was getting married. Awkward. We bought chocolate covered cinnamon bears, salt water taffy and then enjoyed chatting with my brother and his family for the good part of the afternoon. It was nice to spend time with them in their cozy home with a roaring fire.

We met Mitch and Steve at Communal for a fabulous dinner. I've had Communal on my list of "must-eat"s for about a year so I was super excited. Turns out Mitch had the same goal and I'm pleased to say it did not disappoint (David especially enjoyed our pierogi appetizer). Such a lovely place to sit with friends and enjoy every bite! I love that kind of dining, where it's two hours later and you're shocked it's been that long.

Luckily, I hit two birds with one stone that night by also knocking one of the Rooftop Concert Series off my "list" and I was so pleased when I heard the fantastic, mellow sounds of The Lower Lights start playing. I could have listened all night, except now I really need to learn to play the banjo. It was a fantastic evening and a great way to end our trip.

Then it was back home. We had dropped William off with my sister in Phoenix when we changed planes from San Diego, so we stopped back in Phoenix to pick him up. We really only waited about an hour but I was incredibly anxious to see my boy so it felt like five. Pacing back and forth in front of security and picking at my nail polish, I had this feeling of the butterflies you get before a first date + terror that they would get in an accident before I got to see him again + concern that he would be mad at me for leaving him for a week + gallons of excitement and motherly love. When I finally saw him he gave me his classic shy smile from his stroller and when I knelt down to kiss him he jumped in my arms and wrapped himself around me and wouldn't let go. Oh, how I love that sweet boy! And I'm so grateful to have amazing sisters and their families who took him in like one of their own.

I'm so glad David and I got to spend a whole uninterrupted week together. It was a lot of fun and we're both glad that we're all home together again as a family!

utah - part two

2011-10-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

The beauty up here has been so fantastic even though we've had some crazy town weather. The first few days were really warm. In fact it was warmer here than it was in San Diego which I was kind of bummed about but it gave us a couple of days to do some fun outdoor activities. We took some beautiful drives, bought squeaky cheese in Heber, attended the Salt Lake City Temple, ate at one of my favorite SLC places (Cafe Trio), saw My Fair Lady at the Hale Center Theatre (it was fabulous - go see it, if you can!) and enjoyed taking nerdy pictures of the leaves (please don't forget I'm pregnant).

it was really windy.

But then, we woke up to this fluffy, white stuff sprinkled on top of the mountain trees. That's right folks - it snowed in the night! And we're supposed to get something like 5 inches today! I feel like all my vacation dreams are coming true!

utah - part one

2011-10-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Our trip so far has been great. We are staying at a beautiful resort right on the mountain and we're really impressed. If you're looking for a good place to stay, I completely recommend Marriott's Mountainside. Utah is so gorgeous in the autumn! Can I just say that if you live in this area . . . I get it!

We've had a great time with friends and family. We had dinner at Tuscany with my parents and Christian and Stephanie, we drove to Sundance and had brunch with friends from David's mission in the Philippines and then today we had lunch with some other friends here in Park City.

We've taken lots of drives through the beautiful fall leaves and it's just so beautiful. The temperature is supposed to drop and we may even get some snow up here in Park City. The locals aren't super excited about that, as far as I can tell, but we're thrilled to don some winter attire for a few days! It's so fun to drink hot chocolate and look out the windows at the colorful mountains. Being here reminds me that this earth is magnificent!

the autumn leaves

2011-09-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

David and I are going on a trip to Park City next week for our anniversary. I'm super excited. We plan on:

- eating a lot of good food.
- some hiking and browsing around Park City main street.
- seeing My Fair Lady at the Hale Center Theater.
- spending time with friends and family.
- having brunch at Sundance.
- attending BYU's Homecoming Spectacular.
- taking lots of romantic drives through the mountains to see the fall leaves.
- going to the movies.
- relaxing.

And I'll probably also be crying a few times because I miss our baby boy so much! However, I know he'll have a great time with my sisters and his cousins. Plus it's David's and my fifth anniversary and I'll be enjoying some quality time with my handsome husband. Technically, our anniversary isn't until November but the leaves will be long gone by then!

our first and only "big" trip for our anniversary (hawaii) - 2007.

a spring baby

2011-09-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

I should probably mention that a huge contributing factor to why my blog has been super lame lately is because I've been sick. I've been sick because I'm growing a baby. That's right folks - I'm pregnant again. Here are a few questions and answers you may be thinking about (or not at all, which is likely).

holding the test, minutes after I took it.

1. How far along are you? I'm 12 weeks. Due at the beginning of April.

2. Are you and Stephanie due around the same time? Yes, within days. It's so fun (or it will be when the sickness ends).
3. Are you nervous because of your miscarriage? Absolutely but I can't dwell on it. I have a good feeling that this is all going to work out.
4. Are you going to have an epidural again? I wanted to do it without medication last time but after 20 hours I gave up. Then I had the most amazing epidural that if I could guarantee the same experience I wouldn't even hesitate! But we'll see.
5. Do you feel like it's a boy or a girl? Do you care which? I figure since I already have a boy, I can't go wrong either way! I do feel quite different this time around and David and I both just "have a feeling" it's a girl but we'll see.
6. Are you really sick? I was feeling absolutely lay-on-the-couch-all-day-while-William-watched-a-hundred-movies horrible for a few weeks but I'm feeling better as long as I make sure I eat first thing in the morning. And I can't really eat hamburgers anymore without serious consequences. That makes me very sad.
7. Are you excited? Yes!

cleaning out the camera

2011-09-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a few random thoughts in pictures for you:

This boy was bit(ten?) at church on Sunday in Nursery. A full-mouthed, teeth-marked, skin-broken bite. When David brought him to me after church to my class he had a piece of licorice and was perfectly happy. His teacher said he barely cried and kept playing. It happens but I'm relieved that it wasn't him doing the biting.

My sister-in-law bought me these really cute earrings for my birthday from a favorite shop in Solana Beach called Bixby & Ball. We went together a few months ago and I mentioned that I loved them. She was sneaky and bought them for me while I dealt with William outside. So sweet!

I have never cut William's toenails. True story. They just fall off. That's normal, right? Such cute little nuggets.

I feel like I've been making Seven Layer Dip once a week lately because it's football season. I think the best trick I learned somewhere down the line is to mix in half a packet of taco seasoning to your sour cream. It makes it so tasty!

There's this really cute train outside the zoo that William likes to ride (for $1). It's kind of lame but also kind of fun. We made our friends, Eric and Megan (sitting behind me) who were visiting a few weeks ago, go on a ride too but it's ok because, well, I told you it's $1.

house tour: living room (autumn edition)

2011-09-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

I told you guys I was going to "cozy up" my living room for the winter season so I did. I have a small budget so I couldn't do a lot but I think I like it better than I had it before. The only thing I miss is my old chair (reupholster's regret). I don't like the blue and I think the old fabric would have looked great with this new arrangement. Oh well. You live and learn.

I was lucky enough to pick up the frames on the wall for $4.99 a piece (regularly $19.99 each) at Last Chance on my short trip to Arizona. Unfortunately I only bought five so I had a weird empty spot on the wall which I ended up filling with this plate. Then I just switched out some pillows for the ones in the guest bedroom and made the green chevron one out of some fabric I had in my stash. Small changes make a big difference.

Once Christmas time rolls around I'll be moving the blue leather chair to where the light blue chair is (which is moving to the guest bedroom) to make room for our tree in front of the huge window. Our front window is easily the best feature in the house. It's going to be so fun to drive up in the evening and see the tree light up. I'm really excited for the holidays but that's nothing new!

we should get a bff necklace

2011-09-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Having Mitchy here with her husband and baby was so fun. It was incredibly sad when they left. We kept saying, "Who knows when we'll see each other again?" And that made me really depressed so I declared that we were no longer allowed to talk about it. I wish that we lived by each other! She is such a wonderful friend.

We went to the zoo which was really fun to share with someone who hadn't been there before because it's a really amazing zoo. Plus it was nice to all get in for free (I have an annual pass with some free passes) since tickets run $40 per person. It was lots of fun except when the leopard I was looking at threw up in front of me. That was not fun and I felt sick for a while after that.

maybe I should get SunMaid to sponsor this post?

We took them to La Jolla Coves and had a beautiful walk in the late afternoon. I know we made a good choice taking them there when Mitch kept saying, "Oh, I love this! I'm so glad we came here!" The children loved running around the park and looking at the seals that live in the coves. Then we took them to Burger Lounge for dinner because it's delicious.

I just loved having them around the house. William and Jordan played great and he even made a few moves on her (full on open-mouthed kisses and lots of hugs). It was innocent and adorable. On Sunday we all laid on a blanket in our backyard while Jordan played on the slide and then moved on to the hose. Then Steve and David went inside with the kids while Mitch and I got to sit and talk on the blanket like we used to (except we often took a weird ceramic dog with us and thought it was funny - oh college).

We had a bonfire at the bay and roasted hot dogs and s'mores. David brought some Reese's Peanut Butter cups to use for the chocolate and I am converted. So delicious! Not sure why David is attacking me in this picture but I often don't have answers to why he does things. It makes life fun and interesting.

they thought it was really fun to "sit" on the tree trunks.

I'm really hoping it's not another two years before I see my beloved Mitchy again but the distance between San Diego and Utah isn't around the corner. I'm just glad that I was able to have fun with her and her little family while we could.

emotional movie watching

2011-09-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

If I had to name one of the top three characteristics that I would use to describe myself one would have to be emotional. Unfortunately that word assumes negative connotations as well as positive and I'm guilty of just about all of them. Because I'm lead by my emotions I can sometimes be overly-sensitive, highly dramatic and annoyingly melancholy (even to myself). Luckily some of those traits have lessened over time and as I've grown up (and married a happy-go-lucky, eternal optimist) and I've also learned to study myself - find out what "stirs my emotional pot", if you will.

Polly Walker looks freakishly similar to Catherine Zeta-Jones in this film.

I watched Enchanted April the other day and had another revelation about myself as I took a mental picture of myself sitting on the floor, mouth a-gaping at the screen. I love movies but I'm very picky about what I like. Since there's so much trash out there I don't even think twice about half of what Hollywood produces. I like lots of movies, love a handful of others . . . and then there are a few that have influenced me and I will never forget how I felt when I watched them.

Without a doubt the most important, life changing movie for me is Shadowlands. I've mentioned my love of this movie before in this post about Harry Potter but the thing is, this movie affected me to my heart's core. I remember watching it as a teenager with my family and after it was through, I went up to bed without talking to anyone and felt raw. I had never felt that before. I've only watched it a few times and only with a select few people. It is the greatest (true) love story with such wonderful themes of hope, faith and everlasting love (what Sandra?).

My dear friend, Michelle, even gave me the DVD as a wedding gift (it's actually really hard to find) and it may have been the most meaningful gift I've ever received. If you haven't seen the movie and would like to, promise me this. Watch the movie either alone or with someone who won't want to pause, make popcorn or talk about something else. You have to really dedicate yourself to feeling the relationship of C.S. Lewis and his beloved, Joy. I may sound like a freak here but if you've read the aforementioned post above about Harry Potter than you've probably already come to that conclusion. Ha!

we are friends, friends to the bitter end

2011-09-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that my dear friend Michelle, her husband (and partner over at Twig Creative), Steve, and baby, J, come to visit. I'm really, really, really excited. I haven't seen her in over two years. She's never met Will and I've never met her little J. And basically, I'm meeting her husband for the first time too because I've only spent a few hours around him. I hardly know him at all. It's plain sad that I don't know two of the most important people in my best friend's life. Well, no longer!

at my wedding - 2006.

Michelle (I'm still getting used to calling her by her "real" name after years of calling her "Mitch") and I became friends when she moved into my apartment at the beginning of the semester in 2005. I liked her immediately and we lived together for a total of three semesters, two of which we shared a bedroom. She is the greatest, truest, sweetest, most patient and loyal friend you will ever have if you're lucky enough to call her that. I've blogged about her before here and here.

I was so thrilled when I found out she was marrying an artsy, creative guy - he's such a compliment to her own creativity! Then I started seeing some of their stuff, like this adorable camera (which we own), Steve's very own designed and handcrafted crib and the super cool anaPad. Basically I'm thrilled they're coming to stay!

fashion sense

2011-09-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

Dressing William isn't my favorite thing to do in the world. Now that he's becoming more independent and has a really strong will he definitely exerts his right to kick, writhe and generally just be a pain to put clothes on (and change diapers, for that matter). But sometimes really funny things happen. Like when he goes into my bathroom and gets out my shower cap (yes, I'm a granny) and puts it on his head and wears it around the house.

Or sometimes (I love how he's hanging his head in shame in this picture) David dresses him in horrific outfits just as we're headed out the door and I say, "absolutely not", take a picture and then put on a more fashionable ensemble.

It was his first time wearing these shoes and he was all about them. He wasn't happy with me when I changed them back for his Saltwater Sandals. Oh well, have to look cute!

cozying up the house

2011-09-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

Around this time of year I start getting antsy for change. The weather changes from hot to cool, the clothes change from short sleeve to cardigans and sweaters and I like to change out my pillows from bright and summery to warm and cozy.

I'm not about to paint the walls or buy new drapes but with a few simple changes (and a minor hoarding problem) you can switch out your living room from cool to warm. Since I'm naturally drawn to cool colors, I don't want to go overboard on the warmer tones but I think adding some burnt reds and gold mixed with cool blues and greens looks great. I'm excited to move into the holidays!

via

100 grand cake

2011-09-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

A lot of you asked for the recipe for my birthday cake. It all started when I was at the cabin last month with Erin. I was looking through the supply of old Martha Stewart Living magazines and came across an article about cakes inspired from candy bars. What? Yes! That's when I saw the Chocolate Cake with Milk-Chocolate Crunch and Caramel Sauce inspired by the candy bar, 100 Grand. Chocolate and caramel is my favorite combo so I was super excited! This is definitely a "Lizzy Cake" not a "David Cake" but I figured, hey, it's my birthday I should get to choose the cake! So I ripped out the page and kept it in my book until my birthday rolled around.

Here's the thing about this cake. It takes several hours (like, almost four) to make so it's definitely a special occasion dessert. It's also very rich so be prepared to give everyone a decently small sized slice. I made the recipe exactly as writtten but if you want to save yourself some time and effort, you could simply buy the caramel sauce and, of course, you could also use sweetened condensed milk to make caramel sauce if you don't feel comfortable with a candy thermometer. However, there are two things you shouldn't change. The cake and the frosting. This may be the best chocolate frosting on earth and I'm not really much of a frosting kind of gal. Trust me, it's amazing.

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Milk-Chocolate Crunch:
1 cup crisped-rice cereal
6 ounces milk chocolate, melted

Caramel Sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Salt

Chocolate Frosting:
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons hot water
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Salt
1 pound semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Make the cake: Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Sift flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.

Meanwhile, make the milk-chocolate crunch: Fold crisped-rice cereal into melted milk chocolate until completely coated. Spread mixture about 1/4 inch thick onto a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Freeze until set, about 45 minutes. Chop into small pieces. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the caramel sauce: Bring granulated sugar, cream, corn syrup, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until mixture registers 236 degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and a pinch of salt. Transfer to a bowl, and let cool.

Make the frosting: Place cocoa powder in a small bowl, and stir in hot water to create a thick paste. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and a pinch of salt until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted semisweet chocolate and cocoa paste. If frosting doesn't seem firm enough, refrigerate for 10 to 12 minutes, whisking every few minutes. Let stand at room temperature until ready to use.

Assemble the cake: Turn out cakes from pan. Place bottom layer on a rotating cake stand or a large plate, and spread most of the milk-chocolate crunch on top. Gently spread 1 cup caramel sauce on top and then top with remaining cake layer.
Frost cake with a crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting to seal in stray crumbs): Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush, then use a small offset spatula to cover the top and sides a with a thin layer of frosting. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

Let crumb-coated cake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Frost entire cake with remaining frosting in a swirling motion using a large offset spatula. Let stand at room temperature until ready to serve (up to 8 hours). Frosting can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

chicken and mushrooms with homemade rice-a-roni

2011-09-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again, my sisters are great cooks. This recipe, from my sister Diane, is one of my favorites and is a great recipe to make when you have guests over. Almost everyone loves it, unless they don't like mushrooms (which is just sad) but if that's the case, they're really easy to pick off. I like to serve this with my other sister's rice-a-roni recipe and some roasted asparagus with paramesan shaved on top, steamed broccoli or in the case of this picture sauteed lemony brussels sprouts.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 cloves garlic, crushed and divided

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with salt and pepper and two of the cloves of garlic. In another shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese. Dip chicken breasts in egg mixture and then roll in bread crumb mixture. Place in baking dish. Mix melted butter with the rest of the garlic, parsley and lemon juice. Pour half of the butter mixture over the chicken. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with sliced mushrooms and cover with the remaining butter mixture. Bake for another 10 minutes.

Alice's Rice-A-Roni

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 - 2 Tablespoons dehydrated chopped onion

1 cup long-grain white rice

1/2 cup orzo pasta

2 Tablespoons chicken soup base granules*

1 - 2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

2 1/2 cups water

Heat oil over medium high heat in a medium pot. Add garlic and onion and saute briefly. Add rice and pasta and saute for 2 minutes. Add seasonings and stir well. Add water and bring to boil; reduce to simmer, cover and cook about 25 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir before serving.

*Alice has access to awesome chicken soup base and I don't. Boo. However, I did find this that looks like it might be good. I haven't been able to make this recipe the same without the chicken soup base granules. I've tried Better Than Bouillon mixed with a cube of chicken bouillon and it's not the same so if someone tries this or knows of something that is good, let me know!

rain, don't go away

2011-09-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

We're having an extremely rare occurence here in San Diego - a true thunderstorm. So, basically I'm in heaven and plan on laying on the couch with more peppermint tea, my sweet boy and a blanket. A lovely way to start off the fall.

growing up: 22 months

2011-09-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

I realized that I haven't posted some of the things William has been doing lately and I really should since my baby book for him ended at 12 months.

- He loves brushing my hair. He used to be really into just standing behind me on the couch and patting my head but now he runs to the bathroom, grabs my brush and will brush and brush and brush. It actually feels pretty good . . . most of the time.

- He loves talking on the phone. Whenever he sees me talking on the phone he runs up and says, "Hi Dad!". He always thinks it's David.

- His favorite food is still cottage cheese. The other day I bought some and I had to hide it from him because he wouldn't stop eating it. When I put it away, he cries. You'd think it was candy!

- He says, "Otay Mom!" whenever I ask him to do something or if he wants something. "William, do you want to take a nap?" -- "Otay Mom!" It kills me.

- His favorite show is Kipper the Dog. I don't blame him. It's the cutest, sweetest show ever and if your kid doesn't watch it then I suggest you get them hooked. It's pretty much the only TV show that doesn't drive me nuts.

- He can count to two. Well, that's an exaggeration. If you put two toys in front of him, he'll say, "two" but I'm not entirely sure how excited I should get because he still says that when I put another toys in front of him.

- He can spot a train a mile away and can definitely imagine one up out of thin air. Whenever we drive places, he'll look out the window and yell, "Choo choo!" Sometimes there's a train and sometimes not.

poetry

2011-08-31T05:00:00.001-07:00

When I was in Arizona last week I was talking to my parents about some of the literature we read growing up. My parents are all about the classics. I have memories of them reading us poetry in the evening and one poem that I'll never forget is called Enoch Arden by Alfred Lord Tennyson. A quick summary of the poem is that three young children grow up as best friends in a small village - Enoch, Philip and Annie. Enoch and Philip love Annie and rival over her. As they grow up, Enoch and Annie fall in love and decide to get married (all the while Philip is still in love with her). They get married and have children and Enoch becomes a merchant sailor. He goes to sea, is shipwrecked and goes missing for ten years. In the meantime, Annie (believing that her husband is dead), marries Philip and they have a child together. Then Enoch returns and looks through the window of their home together:

Now when the dead man come to life beheld
His wife no more, and saw the babe
Hers, yet not his, upon the father's knee,
And all the warmth, the peace, the happiness,
And his own children tall and beautiful,
And him, that other, reigning in his place,
Lord of his rights and of his children's love, --
Then he, tho' Miriam Lane had told him all,
Because things seen are mightier than things heard,
Stagger'd and shook, holding the branch, and fear'd
To send abroad a shrill and terrible cry,
Which in one moment, like a blast of doom,
Would shatter all the happiness of the hearth.

He therefore turning softly like a thief,
Lest the harsh shingle should grate underfoot,
And feeling all along the garden-wall,
Lest he should swoon and tumble and be found,
Crept to the gate, and open'd it, and closed,
As lightly as a sick man's chamber-door,
Behind him, and came out upon the waste.

And there he would have knelt, but that his knees
Were feeble, so that falling prone he dug
His fingers into the wet earth, and pray'd.

'Too hard to bear! why did they take me hence?
O God Almighty, blessed Saviour, Thou
That didst uphold me on my lonely isle,
Uphold me, Father, in my loneliness
A little longer! aid me, give me strength
Not to tell her, never to let her know.
Help me not to break in upon her peace.
My children too! must I not speak to these?
They know me not. I should betray myself.
Never: no father's kiss for me -- the girl
So like her mother, and the boy, my son.'

There speech and thought and nature fail'd a little,
And he lay tranced; but when he rose and paced
Back toward his solitary home again,
All down the long and narrow street he went
Beating it in his wearing brain,
As tho' it were the burden of a song,
'Not to tell her, never to let her know.'

I remember my dad reading it and he always got so emotional at that part. As I brought up the poem to my parents last week they went on a quest through their extensive library of classics and found the poem in an old McGuffey Reader. My dad sat in his den chair and read that part again. As his voice got shaky I was reminded of memories of my dad reading when I was living there as a teenager. It's much more meaningful to me now that I'm married and I'm a mother but I'm so grateful to parents who taught us to appreciate classic literature and culture.

You can read the whole poem here (warning - it's very long).

good food, good friends, good birthday

2011-08-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night we had some friends over to celebrate my birthday. I made this pizza on the grill, a little salad and a "100 Grand" birthday cake that was delicious.

cute napkins from house 8810.

probably should've used a knife to cut the cake.

It was really nice to eat outside and talk until the stars and our friendly salamander came out. I hate that thing. All in all, it was a good birthday.

twenty-seven things

2011-08-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's my 27th birthday today so I thought I'd share 27 things that I did in the past year of my life.

my 2nd birthday.

1. Went to New York City.
2. Went to Chicago.
3. Went to Arizona (several times).
4. Went to New Mexico.
5. Had our first family photo shoot.
6. My baby took his first steps.
7. Went to Disneyland twice.
8. Got pregnant.
9. Had a miscarriage.
10. Moved to our first house in San Diego.
11. Learned lots about how to garden (but I still have lots of room for improvement).
12. Perfected my lasagna recipe.
13. Captured the greatest video of William dancing.
14. Saw Harry Potter 7.2 three times (in the theaters).
15. Had tons of visitors at our new house.
16. David and I started hiking.
17. Unsuccessfully tried to start my own business (I'm going to try again next year for students).
18. Became obsessed with Lark Rise to Candleford.
19. Reupholstered a chair.
20. Spent hours on Pinterest (just like all of you!)
21. Read 17 books.
22. Attended a beautiful wedding.
23. Went to the fair.
24. Fell in love with at least ten new things San Diego has to offer.
25. Threw William's first birthday party.
26. Had several beach bonfires.
27. Hugged and kissed my boys dozens and dozens of times.

It's been a good year. Thanks for being around and sharing a lot of these things with me!

a quick trip (which is ironically the best gas station in az)

2011-08-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

I've been a lame blogger this week. On Sunday night David was packing up to head to Colorado for most of the week and I thought, "Hey, instead of hanging around here by myself I think I'll go to Arizona and surprise Marcus on his birthday." I knew my mom was throwing him a party so I packed up in the morning and drove by my lonesome all the way to Mesa. It was so hot, I thought I would die. Of course as we rolled into town I noticed the billboards even had an "excessive heat warning" for the week. Great timing. Poor William kept trying to go outside (something he's used to being able to do all year) and every time he opened the door, he would cry. He also had a wicked heat rash, which confirmed that we are now officially wimps.

as soon as we got home, we went in the backyard and enjoyed some cool weather.

I took no pictures but I did have a really good time. My parents spoiled me with dinner at my favorite restaurant, my mom took me shopping at my favorite store (where I scored big time), I went to lunch with some of my awesome sisters and ate my favorite sandwich, got my hair did by my favorite hairstylist, sat down with my parents every evening and watched one of my favorite BBC series and generally had a great time with my family (William actually played with these boys for the first time - it was cute). We missed our favorite guy though and I'm grateful we all made it back together in one piece.

My birthday is on Monday and tomorrow is my "special day". I told David that all I wanted for my birthday was a day all to myself. I plan to go to the foot spa, get some taquitos from California Burrito, use my birthday coupon at Anthropologie and then take a nap. So exciting, I know, but it sounds perfect to me.

growing pains

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

How did this sweet, tiny baby boy

. . . grow to be this big boy?

It makes me sad. Glad but sad. I miss my baby.

the m.a.n.

2011-08-22T05:00:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my little brother, Marticus Tortipus (or more boringly known as "Marcus"). I wish I could say that I was a fantastic older sister to him when we were growing up. Mostly, as the tenth of eleven children, I used what little "power" I had over him to tease him, be annoyed with him constantly and he swears he even has fingernail scars on his arm from me when I was ten. I don't remember that (probably repressed guilt) but I do remember when I started liking hanging out with my little brother.

picture taken by his lovely wife. mustache added for comedic effect.

I was about 15 and Marcus was just entering his teenage years. We were the last two children at home and I started to notice that my brother was unusually cool and interesting. Instead of roaming the neighborhood with his gangly friends and kicking rocks, he would want to sit down at the kitchen table all night and talk about the world. Instead of watching a stupid sitcom on TV, he would turn on the Discovery or History Channel. Instead of reading juvenile fiction he read Dinesh D'Souza. The most unusual part? He wasn't a nerd.

Then he married this really amazing girl who we're all quite smitten with. They are an unusual, unique and perfect pair. Sometimes I look at them and go, "Really? REALLY!" because they're so adorable.

Here's my favorite funny story about my brother, Marty, that totally illustrates his personality (in my opinion). I've already told it before but it deserves repeating:

- When we went to Ireland a few years ago, Marcus bought a flute (more of a recorder really) as a souvenir on one of the first days in the country and he was determined to learn a song on it. When Marcus sets his mind to something, he does it. So, for the next several days, hour after hour, Marcus taught himself to play "Scarborough Fair". He finally perfected it and I laughed as we sat on this stone wall, overlooking the Irish Sea, as my brother played his flute with such dedication knowing full well that he was dreaming and thinking the same things as me (it's lovely tune, really).

And then he did this and I laugh every time.

Happy Birthday bruder dear!

encouraging nuturing

2011-08-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

William has a little bunny that he sleeps with. We call him "Foo Foo". It's pretty adorable when your baby boy latches onto something soft and squishy.

A few months ago, we were at my sister's house and William was playing in my niece, Mary's, room. He came walking into the living room, holding and cuddling one of her baby dolls. I had never seen him hold a doll before and started laughing when my sister said, "Don't make a big deal out of that! In fact, encourage it. Boys need to learn how to be sweet and gentle to babies too." I realized how true that is (Alice is a fount of wisdom). It made me think about how much this world is changing. I think this kind of teaching is part of what's fostering more boys to grow into men who are willing husbands that help around the house more and change the baby's diaper. I'm all for teaching my son to be a man who doesn't think that taking care of the baby is only the woman's job. I want my boys to be involved fathers. I believe that "mothers are primarily responsible for the nuture of their children" but I also believe "that fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners" (from The Family: A Proclamtion to the World). What do you think? Do you encourage or disuade your boys from anything not traditionally seen as masculine?

tortellini pasta salad

2011-08-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

I think I've mentioned that my sister-in-law, Darin (who is practically perfect in every way), is a fantastic cook. I think all the women in my family cook well but Darin's recipes are always, always a hit. For example, once we tried Darin's Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette every Sunday dinner salad had this dressing on it.

David is an avid fan of pasta salad so for his birthday I made this along with grilled shrimp and steak with mushroom sauce. It was delicious!

Salad:
1 large package of fresh cheese tortellini
1 head broccoli, cut into small pieces
2 cans of olives, sliced
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts, diced

Dressing:
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons dried parsley

Blend together (I use my Magic Bullet) until emulsified.

music is fun, come on everyone!

2011-08-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

On August 23rd I am beginning my Fall semester of group musical classes for young children in the San Diego area. These classes (available for children ages 18 months - 5 years) involve singing, dancing, play acting and musical storytelling. We will "musically play" with various musical instruments and other educational toys while focusing on learning songs, simple movement and understanding the different sounds each instrument makes. Each child will learn basic hearing perception of notes as they learn to sing and play. Not to mention it's going to be loads of fun! Every time I think about it, I get really excited!

If you live in the area and are interested in "Miss Lizzy's Music" please contact me at elizabethabryant@gmail.com. You can also view my website here for a class calendar, semester tuition prices, FAQs, a bit about my qualifications and about the program.

all the essentials

2011-08-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

I love moments like this one. I'm sitting at my computer, making a dreaded appointment at the DMV and believing that William is playing with his trains in the other room. I become less distracted by my vehicle registration plight as the sound of "clip clop" echos through the halls on the wood floors. Into the room saunters William in my red shoes with a box of leftover Red Vines from our road trip and his cup of milk in a messy, Risky Business outfit (sans socks). I laughed as he posed and said, "cheese". He totally knew he was funny. I love that boy.

home again, home again, jiggity jig

2011-08-07T22:36:00.000-07:00

We just returned home from our summer exodus of 2011 (first New Mexico for Bluewater Days, then a few days at my family cabin and then finished off at David's family cabin in the White Mountains of Arizona). I am beat. And ready to never leave my house again. I know that feeling won't last but it feels incredibly nice to be home with all my things, where I know the smells and everything feels cozy. Of course, coming home after a vacation to San Diego is no trial either. Ha!

If you're looking for someone to sing praises of Arizona, look elsewhere. I just can't handle the summer heat. Months of 100+ degree weather doesn't bother everyone (a lot of my family included) but not me. I am a grump for six months straight. However, if you're under the impression that Arizona is only full of cactus, rattlesnakes and haboobs then you'd be wrong. Just look at these pictures.

We didn't do much except relax, take walks on the golf course, watch movies and have a picnic at Paradise Creek. It was beautiful and William had a wonderful time throwing rocks in the water. Of course, he fell in but then he was happy again as soon as someone handed him a particularly large stone.

highlight: this picture of David's dad napping on a small cliff. hilarious. oh dads. they're so funny.

It was cool and beautiful. Now I'm going to bed.

William enjoyed seeing the "chows".

baby love, my baby love

2011-08-03T22:34:00.001-07:00

Erin's sweet baby, Hudson, has me in a state of longing for the days when William was new. I love holding him, all swaddled and cozy, as he gazes at me and grins his dimpled grin. Is there a better feeling? If I could bottle it I would be rich and depression would not exist!!! I'm sure of it!

I do miss those sweet newborn gazes but I also dearly love the affectionate pats on the back, face-in-hands kisses and looks of love across the room from my toddler too.

"The greatest gift you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." - Eden Ahbez

cousins (human and canine)

2011-08-02T07:29:00.001-07:00

William has had an amazing time with his cousins at the ranch. I felt bad because I didn't play with him for hours because he was having such a blast with his cousins but my ability to play pales in comparison to theirs! Other than his human cousins his constant companion was Jimmy.

climbing the stairs, again and again and again.

We were all dying of laughter when William was following Jimmy around, grabbing his stub tail and saying, "Poopy?"

When he wasn't playing with the older kids or Jimmy, William and Beck were fighting over a light saber and playing checkers. I loved watching him interact with my family and delighting over how cute and social he is (when well-rested, that is).

Now we're at the cabin with Erin and her boys. It is so beautiful and green! We've had thunderstorms every day. I miss David but he's joining us on Friday. Hooray!

By the way, I just found out about Instagram and I'm hooked. If you want to follow me, my username is elizabethbryant (and please do because it will make me feel cool).

William - chillaxing on the front porch rug.

sand and sun

2011-07-29T13:21:00.001-07:00

The beach reunion was fun with David's family last week. We spent a few nights at the condo and it was nice waking up to the ocean waves. Even though we live close by we don't get to enjoy that from our house.

William had a great time playing with his "third/once removed/not sure" cousins at the beach, taking walks into the water and then running back, opening and closing the screen door on the patio and drinking all my Gingerale.

Now we're in a completely different climate and altitude here at the ranch in New Mexico but more on that delightful fun later...

traveling the southwest

2011-07-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

We're off to Bluewater Days! David can't be there this year (boo) but I'm so glad to be spending time with my loved ones at the family ranch. I just hope it's as green and pretty as it was last year!

last year at the ranch - William was so little!

I'm hoping that this year brings:

- lots of play time with cousins for my sweet Fitz.
- swinging on the front porch during a rain storm.
- quad rides.
- decent naps and sleeping in even with no blackout curtains and 9-year-old boys running up and down the stairs at the crack of summer dawn.
- many games of Take Two, Red Vines eating and book reading in the afternoon.
- craft and sewing time with my sisters.
- eating the harvest (swiss chard, corn, squash and so much more!)
- a classic family variety show.
- a roaring bonfire up on the hill with singing and guitar playing.
- the grand finale: the family-famous firework show with Jay's movie-theme soundtrack blaring.

From the ranch, I'm going to our family cabin in Arizona for a few days with my dear, dear friend and cousin, Erin, and then to David's family cabin (ironically just 10 minutes from my family's cabin - all these years!) for a few more days. We've had a busy year with traveling and guests and we only have a few weeks of normalcy until we're back at it again before the holidays! No matter - it's going to be fun!

I'll try to post a bit while I'm gone but I make no promises.

roasted tomato salsa

2011-07-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

When we were in Chicago we went to Frontera Grill to celebrate my brother's graduation. We had heard lots of good things about Rick Bayless' restaurants so I was excited to try it out. I had a few hesitations, however. As an Arizona native living in San Diego, and having endless delicious Mexican restaurants at our finger tips, it's usually one of my rules to not have Mexican food in a city where there isn't a large Hispanic culture (i.e. Mexican restaurant in Rexburg, Idaho - no bueno). However, Chicago is a big city and Rick Bayless is a world-famous chef. It had to be good, right? Well, I wish I could report that it blew me away but it didn't. It was good but more expensive that I'm accustomed to paying for Mexican food and of course, I am loyal to Tia Rosa's so it's pretty hard for anything to reach that level by those standards.

The other day I saw this recipe for Rick Bayless' Rustic Roasted Tomato and Garlic Salsa and tried it. I'm confident it's the best salsa recipe I've probably ever had. It's so delicious! I did make a few of my own improvements because it needed a couple of tweaks. Try it and tell me what you think.

2 jalapeno chilies, washed and dried

2 cloves garlic (whole and unpeeled)
1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes (no substitute!)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons honey

Heat a small pan over medium heat. Lay the jalapenos and garlic on pan and dry-roast until black in spots (about 15 minutes).

While the chilies and garlic are roasting, scoop the onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water.

Pull the stems off the chilies and cut open to remove most of the seeds (the more seeds the spicier it will be - I left a few to give it a little heat) and peel the skins of the garlic cloves. Scoop into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the can of tomatoes (including juice) and pulse again until you've reached a semi-chunky consistency. Add onions and cilantro and pulse a couple of times (not too much).

Pour into a bowl and stir in lime juice and honey. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Best served right away with tortilla chips.

while we're on the topic of movies . . .

2011-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Hollywood,

Most of your movies are rotten. Many are centered around justifications of infidelity, grotesque scenes of murder or idiots who get so drunk they can't remember their mistakes. These kinds of films abound in your money-filled pits and it makes me sad because, even in my short life, I have seen this sad progression of bad to worse in the "talent" of your filmmakers. I grew up loving movies like "Summer Magic" and "On Moonlight Bay" where a simple 3-second kiss was all you needed to make you feel a rush of butterflies (no steamy groping required). Women were beautiful - clothed in pretty dresses and smiling with their lips instead of making provocative gestures with them.

Please stop making films that are wasteful. Go back to the time when the plots were kind, they were pure and they were meaningful. I'm not suggesting that every movie produced should be a musical or even based on a happy, daisy-filled theme. I'm simply asking that you be responsible with the opportunity you've been given and I hope that some of you will be brave enough to realize there is a market for clean, well-done movies.

"People associate me with a time when movies were pleasant, when women wore pretty dresses in films and you heard beautiful music. I always love it when people write me and say, I was having a rotten time and I walked into a cinema and saw one of your movies, and it made such a difference." - the lovely Audrey Hepburn

Sincerely,

A mother hoping for a bright cinematic future for my children

the boy who lived

2011-07-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

My friends hosted a Harry Potter party last weekend and it was so fun! The hostess, Ariana (who took most of these fantastic pictures) and her husband, had tons of fun games. Every little detail was perfect.

I received the Hogwarts letter (aka invitation) by owl when we were in Orange County for the wedding but my sister sent me a picture of the adorable helium owl balloon holding the envelope with a Hogwarts seal. It really got me excited for the party! Invitations are such an important first-impression for a party.

When we arrived we were sorted into houses (go Gryffindor!) by an authentic looking Sorting Hat. Once in our houses, a Head Boy and Head Girl was nominated and then we started our contests as houses.

The activities included making our own quills, writing down prophesies, making dragons out of legos and tasting and naming the flavors of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans with our eyes closed. The houses were awarded points for each task we finished correctly and at the end of the night one of the teams would win the House Cup (a cute, little trophy) for the most points (unfortunately Slytherin won - BOO!)

I incorrectly guessed Dr. Pepper for my bean - 5 points from Gryffindor!

Then we had a potluck dinner. I brought shepherd's pie (with lamb even - it was a special occasion!) and pumpkin pasties. There was also butterbeer, roasted chicken, dinner rolls and for dessert, Hagrid's birthday cake for Harry in the first book. I won an award (the book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" - mine was handmade of course) for "Best Food". Ari also made Golden Snitches to take as favors (which were cute little Ferrero Rocher with vellum wings).

After we ate, we drove to the movie theater and waited in line while we played Harry Potter Pictionary, matching quote games (who said which quote?) and I talked incessantly about how much I love the series. Looking back, I'm kind of embarrassed.

I was so emotional during the movie and I'm confident that I embarrassed a few of my friends when I was sobbing through the last half of the film. I'm probably a big nerd for saying that but I don't care. I almost felt the same emotions that I feel when I watch Shadowlands (my all time favorite movie) - this raw, complete rush of all the emotions that the characters make me feel. I re-read the last book the day or two before the party so that the story was fresh in my mind before I saw the last movie. I wept all over again from all the messages of hope, sacrifice, courage, standing up for what's right, the power of love of family and friends and general theme of good conquering evil. During the previews of the movie someone asked me if I liked Twilight too and it brought to mind the fantastic quote by Stephen King, "Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend." I think I actually guffawed when I read that quote for the first time because I totally agree. I've read all the Twilight series and I'll admit that they're an entertaining read and I enjoyed reading them but I would never, in a million years, compare the two series against each other. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone. That's just how strongly I feel about Harry Potter.

I've come to a conclusion about how my love for Harry Potter is a way to measure my relationships with friends. Here it is: If you love Harry Potter as much as I do, there's a good chance we will be BFF. If you haven't read the books but have seen the movies and liked them, we can probably be friends. If you've read the books and hated them, well . . . I don't even know what to say to that, but just assume, that there's no future for us. Ha!

1+ 28 & 1 - 30

2011-07-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

It's David's birthday today. This is his last year in his 20's. Here are a few things you may not know about my main man.

- My (I guess, "our") nieces and nephews love him more than me. It's very sad for me but he is just so likeable.

- He loves living in San Diego but his dream is to live in Hawaii. On the beach. We could not be more different in this way.

taken the first month we started dating in 2004 while he made me dinner.

- He has cute buns.

- He loves musicals (he surprised me with tickets to Wicked in this picture). When we got married I played "Lost In the Wilderness" from "Children of Eden" for him and he listened to it on repeat for weeks.

- His favorite thing on our trip to Chicago was the Bean (or Cloud Gate). I had to laugh when he and my dad walked around the thing talking about how it was made. He's so interested in how everything works. I love that about him because it reminds me of my own father.

- He can fall asleep anywhere in 3 seconds. It's quite a skill.

- He's one of those freakish people who loves to exercise and will take almost any opportunity to go for a run, take a bike ride, hike, swim, play sports, etc. He also has beautiful legs.

- He hates posing for pictures.

Except every once in a while, he goes all "GQ" on me.

he might kill me for posting this picture. disclaimer: it was a joke.

- He loves food, which is really great for me.

- He's a loving husband and father but if you read my blog, you probably already know that. David is incredibly sweet, patient and constant. I'm so blessed that he is mine.

homemade oreos

2011-07-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

It's true. Homemade Oreo Cookie recipes are a dime a dozen but trust me when I tell you these are the best. And the easiest. I've tried at least 15 recipes and if you like your homemade oreos to be chewy and soft but brownie like then these are for you. If you're more of a whoppie pie type person, look elsewhere. I'm more of a brownie cookie and cream cheese filling kind of girl so these made me swoon at first bite.

Cookies:

2 brownie mixes
1 chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup water

Roll into small balls (the size of a regular cookie scoop or teaspoon) and bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes until tops crack. Let cool for five minutes and then transfer to cooling rack. Let cool until they come to room temperature before frosting.

Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 - 4 teaspoons whole milk

Whip cream cheese and butter using a hand-held mixer until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and whip until smooth. Stir in vanilla and add milk, one teaspoon at a time, until the consistency is smooth and fluffy. Dollop a generous spoonful onto one cookie and spread. Top with another cookie. Store in refrigerator - best served slightly chilled.

chair reupholstery tutorial: part 2

2011-07-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the second half of my chair reupholstery project. Spoiler alert: the finished product looks like this. It's pretty cute and I'm happy with it.

pillow from Target.

One of these days when we stop going out of town, I will take a picture of the whole room. I think it's come a long way from when we first moved in. So, here's how I removed the fabric from the chair and put it back on (I also primed and painted the legs the same color as my sideboard). I'm tired of typing up directions so I put a small description of each step on each picture. I hope it's helpful to anyone out there who might want to try to tackle a reupholstery project. If you reupholster something, send me the link!

I use a butter knife to push the fabric through. It's free and works great.

one more time!

we celebrated and it was fun

2011-07-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

David and I spent the weekend in Orange County for a friend's wedding. The bride and groom are two of the most wonderful people and I sobbed like a baby through their ceremony. It was a beautiful thing to see two lovely people start a life together and feel confident that they will make it.

I could not even look at the father of the bride. He was really emotional the whole day and every time I looked at him, I would cry. They have a really adorable relationship and she looked so beautiful.

first dance. and there's David grinning in between them. so funny.

The reception was fun! I had to sit by myself since David was sitting at the wedding party table but I sat next to some sweet, interesting people and had a good time. Of course, there was lots of dancing and even though I look pretty stupid when I dance I had a good time for about 30 minutes and then I sat down with the old people and watched. I have to say - people watching is really fun but the greatest form of entertainment is watching people dance at a wedding reception or party. I pointed out two girls to David. One was a really good dancer. She had all the right moves, had a cute body and was confident. The other was a slightly older woman who was having a great time but really couldn't pull off the moves she was putting out there. I told David that when I dance I feel like the first girl but I look like the second. It's most unfortunate.

Then we drove to Laguna Beach to stop by my brother and sister-in-law's house. They were at church but luckily we caught them (or they caught us!) right after we broke into their house to use the bathroom. Ha! I love them and I'm so glad that we only live about an hour(ish) apart.

There's a lovely home just two doors down from theirs (above) that I've been admiring for a while now and I finally took a picture of it. Isn't it perfection? It could use one or two touches of updating but I could really love living there and sitting under the huge tree in the front yard on a blanket on a summer afternoon with a cold lemonade.

We also went to a movie and saw Midnight in Paris. I totally recommend it! I told David and the opening credits made it worth the outrageous price of a movie. I love Paris and I hope I can go back soon!

It was nice coming home to William. I've felt guilty that he's had such a crazy life for the past few months. We've either been out of town or had guests in town for months and he's been put through the ringer and he's not done yet! He was really happy to see us and has given lots of affection. Even though it's really nice to have time with David alone, I really feel like a part of my heart is missing when I'm away from him. I love my sweet Fitzwilliam.

wedding bells

2011-07-08T10:53:00.001-07:00

We left this sweet little guy with my sister while we're at David's friend's wedding in LA.

It's the first time I will see David in a real, live tuxedo (he wore a suit to our wedding) and I'm really excited.

I love my man!

independence day 2011

2011-07-04T22:54:00.000-07:00

Another delightful Independence Day in San Diego. We started the day with a very fun and patriotic tour of the USS Midway. It's a San Diego landmark and I had never been. I'm glad we went. It was fun and interesting and it was nice to do something like this on a day when we should be celebrating and thinking about the sacrifices of those who give so much to keep our country safe and free.

After returning home for a (too short) nap, we had homemade hamburgers (question: do you form your own or buy them pre-made) and summer fruit salad on the patio along with Aunt Beth's whoopie pies for dessert. A quick clean-up and we raced off to Cornado Island. I love this spot. We brought blankets, chairs, shrimp cocktail, crudites, hummus and drinks. We also brought some games to play if we got bored but mostly William kept us entertained with his adorable antics, like wrestling with Grandpa and being modeling his hat very cute-like.

David did some smart parking and had us in the perfect spot for a quick getaway. It took us a whole 30 minutes to get home. Another lovely Independence Day in San Diego!

chair reupholstery tutorial: part 1 (prep and cushions)

2011-06-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, this has been a long time coming! After I started taking pictures of my chair reupholstery tutorial Jenny from Little Green Notebook posted her own set of reupholstery tricks last week. I love everything Jenny does so when I saw this I felt a little defeated. However once I started reading it I noticed that her chair is very different from mine - meaning that my tutorial is very different from hers. If you have a chair that has fabric covering it entirely then this is your kind of tutorial. Jenica's tutorial is best for a chair that has fabric covering the back and seat only (more like what I did here but hers is way cooler).

Let me preface this by saying that I am in NO WAY professional (not even very good) at reupholstering furniture. In fact, it would probably be better that I didn't do it myself because the results never end up perfect. However, if you're like me and on a tight budget then here is how I do things. My amazing mother taught me to be frugal, learn to work with what you have and try to do things yourself whenever possible. She has a positive can-do spirit and she taught herself how to reupholster. She has reupholstered many chairs over the years (usually ones she found for $5 at Good Will) and I have many fond memories of my mom teaching me all she knows on the subject. If you don't have a mom as amazing in this area as mine, then Jenica recommended this book for reupholstering basics. Though I've never read it, it might be worth looking into if you're serious about doing something like this and don't know where to start.

As for tools I don't have anything fancy. I bought this Stanley staple gun from Home Depot for around $30 as well as a pack of 1,000 staples. I have an Osborne staple remover which I think is the best (sorry I don't have a US online source - I got mine at Mesa Sales in Arizona) and some sharp Fiskar sewing scissors. As for a sewing machine I have a very basic Singer that does just fine for the things I'm capable of (i.e. not much). Someday I would love to hone my sewing skills to justify buying a Bernina 830 like my mom's but since they start around $700 on eBay, I'm not holding my breath.

Anyway, I started the whole process with the cushions. The seat and back cushions have a zipper so that they can be removed and cleaned (though my fabric selection isn't washing machine friendly).

Step 1: Select your fabric. I chose something relatively inexpensive, which I think is really important. Most chairs my size (a standard club chair) require at least 6 yards and since I'm not professional, I need to account for a few mistakes. I also bought a few yards of striped fabric for my welting cord for piping. I used this awesome YouTube tutorial on how to make continuous bias and made about 5 yards of piping (which ended up being way more than I needed).

Step 2: Remove cushion covers and use as a pattern. Trace onto butcher paper and use it as a pattern to cut out all the pieces for your seat and bottom cushions.

Step 3: When you cut out the fabric be sure to account for a 5/8" seam allowance. Also remember to cut the sides of the cushion as well.

Step 4: Sew your piping/trim along both edges of the top and bottom of the cushions.

Step 5: Pin the side pieces together (right sides together) and sew on.

Step 6: Flip over and pin the other side. Sew on the top of the cushion.

Step 7: Zippers are tricky but they're certainly not as hard as I thought they were. The back side of the cushion (where the zipper will be) needs to be a couple of inches wider than the other sides because you need to cut it in half (horizontally). Once in half, line up the fabric with the zipper.

Step 8: Sew the zipper onto each piece and add the zipper pull. Now you can sew this back piece onto the rest of your cushion.

Next I'll show you how to begin reupholstering the rest of the chair.

a tea party for girls

2011-06-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl my mom would help me host tea parties for my friends. We would don our prettiest dress-ups and bring our dolls (I had Molly) while my mom served up fried scones dusted with powdered sugar and gave us something to drink (probably just water in little teacups)! She still does this with her grandbabies and they all love it! My mom is fantastic at making each of her 40+ grandchildren feel special.

So, last week I decided to have a grown-up tea party with two of my friends but instead of dolls we brought our babies. Aarean's baby, Sage, was the prettiest little thing I ever did see. Aren't her pink painted piggies just scrumptious? I could have nibbled on them (but that might have freaked her mom out)!

Of course, Boston and Will were the handsomest boys and they were well-behaved too! Like little English gentlemen!

pretty sure Sage was crying because Will sat on her hand. sorry Sage!

I made cucumber sandwiches, egg curry sandwiches and cranberry orange scones and served up herbal tea in my little teapot from Ireland. It was fun to be so girly!

meet me at the fair!

2011-06-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

We went to the San Diego County Fair with some friends on Saturday and had a great time. It was insanely crowded and took us 40 minutes just to park. However, it was a beautiful day and we had a fun time watching the kids and their excitement.

Our first fair stop was the petting zoo. William is really into saying his animal noises lately so it was fun to watch him recognize the cow and pig and goats. He was running from animal to animal like a wild man. It was pretty cute to watch.

don't worry about my sunglasses. they're just bent really wonky.

Then we headed over to a few fun rides. William was obessed with the swing ride and the little train that he had to crank to go. He rode both rides twice and then this happened when it was over. So sad.

He was as sure about the carousel as he was at Disneyland but once it started, he was happy.

Fairs are so funny. We spent way too much money because everything is so overpriced but for some reason, we spend money on things we don't need - like cotton candy and funnel cake. Good thing it's once a year!

melon berry ice pops

2011-06-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is the best. I always dreaded the summer growing up in Arizona but now that I live somewhere with beautiful summer weather I'm all about it! I especially love the summer fruit selections since peaches and berries are my ultimate favorites. When I saw this recipe for melon berry ice pops in Everyday Food I knew I had to try it. I did and - hello! - so good, you guys! William liked it too and we enjoyed them on our patio while we watched the birds and geckos in our backyard as William splashed his toys in the paddling pool.

1 cup fresh raspberries

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt (I like Fage best)

1/2 cataloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into large pieces (about 2 cups)

Blend raspberries and 1/3 cup sugar until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-cup measuring cup, pressing on solids. Discard solids. Whisk in 2 Tablespoons yogurt.

Blend cantaloupe with remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into another measuring cup, pressing on solids. Discard solids. Whisk in 6 Tablespoons yogurt. Fix 6 popsicle molds halfway with raspberry mixture, then top with cantaloupe mixture. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until solid.

baby gifts I love

2011-06-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

I recently received an e-mail (from another Elizabeth, no less) asking for baby gift ideas. I'm no expert and, of course, some of you may not like my recommendations but these are things that I either own or wish I owned. If you want more ideas this is a pretty good list here on Babble.

William in the Belle carrier at 6 months.

UNDER $20
Boon Spoon - when William was old enough to eat solids I would take this with me in my diaper bag and was constantly stopped in public to ask where I got it from. In fact I used it at the zoo once with William in my Moby Wrap and I was feeding him pureed sweet potatoes as we walked along the lion exhibit. Super easy and clean. Boon's other products are great too. I also like their bendable utensils ($8).

Baby Love Cookbook - I always intended to make my own baby food but I never got around to it. William had a lot of teeth really quickly so I would just use my Baby Mill ($10) to grind up our dinner and feed it to him (don't spend your money on the more expensive ones - this works great). One of my worst fears is having a picky eater for a child and I feel like one of the best ways to remedy that is by exposing your children to a variety of flavors from a very young age. My sister loves the Baby Love cookbook and after looking through a few recipes I decided that I had to do this with my next baby. The recipes look delicious and I want to eat them myself (which is convenient since the author gives adult versions)! I'm really impressed with the variety of techniques, flavors and healthy ingredients in this cookbook ($12).

Vulli Sophie the Giraffe - this teething toy is everywhere but it's just so great. I was always surprised at how often other babies would try to take it from William. It makes a great gift too ($17).

Tommee Tippee - people often ask me about this cup when we're out and about. This is what William drinks his milk out of and he adores it. Since he never took a bottle, he went straight from nursing to this cup (around $10).

Water Bobble - these water bottles for kids are awesome. It has a carbon filter so that if you need to fill up from the park's nasty drinking fountain where hobos live, at least the water will be filtered. Of course it's also BPA free and they also come in adult sizes ($8.99)

Lamaze Jacque the Peacock - every baby in the world loves this car seat toy ($12.99).

Happy Sleep Habits, Happy Child - everybody has their own opinions on sleep schedules and what works for their family. However, I have to mention that this method changed our lives forever. One note: this isn't a reference book. It's a method so you have to read it through as you would a novel and then implement it into your life. That's just my take on it ($17).

Baby Einstein: Baby Shakespeare - this is one of those things that I rolled my eyes at but if you want to have 101 minutes of entertainment for baby while making dinner or quickly picking up the house, this is a lifesaver! Proof it works ($7).

UNDER $50
Hooded Towel - having a hooded towel is a must for me. Someone made me one for my shower but if I had bought one I would have snatched up this in a second. Chicken Head ($36)!

Baby Gym - I have a big play mat/gym and, while William loves it, it takes up a lot of space and isn't very design appealing. If I could go back in time I would get this one from IKEA. Cute, simple, made of wood and inexpensive ($25).

Mustela Products - I received this set as a baby shower gift along with some diaper wipes and I was a believer. I've also heard their sunscreen is fantastic. It's pricey so I don't continue to buy it but it was a really nice gift that I would love to receive again ($40).

Moby Wrap - I think baby wearing is the greatest thing ever and I could go on and on about the benefits of it (my friend Rachel is a "sling lady" and she talks about baby wearing here) ($40).

Miracle Blanket - my sister-in-law gave this to me as a gift and it is a truly accurately named blanket. Just about everyone knows that a swaddled baby is a happy baby and there are a lot of swaddling blankets out there (I own several from shower gifts). The Miracle Blanket is virtually impossible for little babies to get out of. I also liked that the material is lightweight enough that William wasn't too hot or too cold ($32).

Duplo Blocks - perfect for kids around 18 months and older. I just got these for William and he is obsessed. They're just the right size and provide hours of entertainment ($25).

Bebe Au Lait - in my dream world (i.e. Europe) I don't have to cover up when I'm nursing but I'm related to or am around too many people who feel uncomfortable, so I do. This is a cute, simple cover that I received as a gift (the fabric selection is Kensington and I received a lot of compliments on the simplicity) although I like this bright one too ($35).

Boppy Pillow - I had no idea how much I would love my Boppy pillow not only for nursing but also for propping William up when he was an infant. It allowed him to be able to lay there comfortably with support while still being able to look around. A lot of the covers are ugly but I don't mind something neutral like this one. Plus it's good for a boy or a girl ($28 for pillow, $22 for cover).

OVER $50

Backpack Diaper Bag (similar to mine, which seems to be discontinued) - Petunia Pickle Bottom isn't a cheap diaper bag but I've had two custom bags plus a Stork Sak I bought for $20 at Last Chance and the PPB boxy backpack wins. I may not be original or super stylish but it has every function I could want. Wipeable, water proof, backpack and shoulder straps, built-in change pad, big pockets, side pockets, clips for the stroller ($20) and I still think it's cute, even if everyone has it. It is an absolute lifesaver to be hands and shoulder free when carrying my stuff with a baby. I used to be constantly leaning over and my bag would fall off my shoulder and I would want to scream. No more. There are other less-expensive backpacks out there too, but the PPB was worth it (around $170).

Belle Carrier - When William grew to be about 5 months, I started phasing out the Moby wrap and started using the Belle carrier because I feel like it gives the baby a little more room to be free and look around (newborns and small infants love to be really close though so it's nice to have both). It is incredibly easy to get on and off and I also got it for a steal at Last Chance for a mere $7 (but it's normally $100).

I hope somebody cared enough to read this ridiculously long list because it took me hours to post! Hope it helps someone!